Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies of three novel F-18 labeled and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) targeted 5-bromo pyrimidines as radiotracers for tumor

Targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in cancer therapy: A recent update on inhibitors and PROTAC degraders

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is considered as a pivotal intracellular non-receptor tyrosine kinase, and has garnered significant attention as a promising target for anticancer drug development. As of early 2024, a total of 12 drugs targeting FAK have been approved for clinical or preclinical studies worldwide, including three PROTAC degraders. In recent three years (2021-2023), significant progress has been made in designing targeted FAK anticancer agents, including the development of a novel benzenesulfofurazan type NO-releasing FAK inhibitor and the first-in-class dual-target inhibitors simultaneously targeting FAK and HDACs. Given the pivotal role of FAK in the discovery of anticancer drugs, as well as the notable advancements achieved in FAK inhibitors and PROTAC degraders in recent years, this review is underbaked to present a comprehensive overview of the function and structure of FAK. Additionally, the latest findings on the inhibitors and PROTAC degraders of FAK from the past three years, along with their optimization strategies and anticancer activities, were summarized, which might help to provide novel insights for the development of novel targeted FAK agents with promising anticancer potential and favorable pharmacological profiles.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 4-Arylamino Pyrimidine Derivatives as FAK Inhibitors and Tumor Radiotracers

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is considered a promising target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this work, a series of N,N'-(4-((5-bromo-2-(phenylamino)pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)-1,3-phenylene)diacetamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as FAK inhibitors and radiotracers. The studied compounds, possessing the same phenylene-diacetamide chain, exhibited high to moderate enzyme inhibition values (IC₅₀) ranging from 3.7 to 108.0 nM. Compound 13a, which exhibits high FAK enzyme inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 3.7, could effectively suppress the tumor growth. Furthermore, three compounds were radiolabeled with F-18. Among them, a higher tumor uptake value was observed for [¹⁸F]17 (3.73 ± 0.10% ID/g) and [¹⁸F]13a (3.66 ± 0.02% ID/g). Compound [¹⁸F]18 displayed the highest tumor/blood (35.75) value at 120 min postinjection. In addition, the results from docking studies revealed the binding mechanism of the studied compounds. The findings of this study may provide useful guidance to improve the development of radiotracers and enzyme inhibitors.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiopharmaceutical Development:: In Silico Smart Molecular Design

Novel diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals are increasingly becoming a central part of personalized medicine. Continued innovation in the development of new radiopharmaceuticals is key to sustained growth and advancement of precision medicine. Artificial intelligence has been used in multiple fields of medicine to develop and validate better tools for patient diagnosis and therapy, including in radiopharmaceutical design. In this review, we first discuss common in silico approaches and focus on their usefulness and challenges in radiopharmaceutical development. Next, we discuss the practical applications of in silico modeling in design of radiopharmaceuticals in various diseases.

Preparation, in vitro and in vivo evaluation, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies of novel F-18 labeled tumor imaging agents targeting focal adhesion kinase (FAK)

Coronal micro-PET images of mice bearing S180 tumor at 30 min post-injection of [¹⁸F]2.

Research advances in kinase enzymes and inhibitors for cardiovascular disease treatment

The targeting of protein kinases has great future potential for the design of new drugs against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Enormous efforts have been made toward achieving this aim. Unfortunately, kinase inhibitors designed to treat CVDs have suffered from numerous limitations such as poor selectivity, bad permeability and toxicity. So, where are we now in terms of discovering effective kinase targeting drugs to treat CVDs? Various drug design techniques have been approached for this purpose since the discovery of the inhibitory activity of Staurosporine against protein kinase C in 1986. This review aims to provide context for the status of several emerging classes of direct kinase modulators to treat CVDs and discuss challenges that are preventing scientists from finding new kinase drugs to treat heart disease.