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Chen Z, Wang Q, Yan YY, Jin D, Wang Y, Zhang XX, Liu XH. Discovery of novel and potent CDK8 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2305852. [PMID: 38258519 PMCID: PMC10810651 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2305852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been reported that CDK8 plays a key role in acute myeloid leukaemia. Here, a total of 40 compounds were rational designed and synthesised based on the previous SAR. Among them, compound 12 (3-(3-(furan-3-yl)-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)benzamide) showed the most potent inhibiting activity against CDK8 with an IC50 value of 39.2 ± 6.3 nM and anti AML cell proliferation activity (molm-13 GC50 = 0.02 ± 0.01 μM, MV4-11 GC50 = 0.03 ± 0.01 μM). Mechanistic studies revealed that this compound 12 could inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT-1 and STAT-5. Importantly, compound 12 showed relative good bioavailability (F = 38.80%) and low toxicity in vivo. This study has great significance for the discovery of more efficient CDK8 inhibitors and the development of drugs for treating AML in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuoying Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Quan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Yao Yao Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Dalong Jin
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Yumeng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
| | - Xing Xing Zhang
- School of Biology, Food and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei, China
| | - Xin Hua Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P. R. China
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2
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Wang D, Ritz C, Pierce A, Brunt B, Luo Y, Dahl N, Venkataraman S, Danis E, Kuś K, Mazan M, Rzymski T, Veo B, Vibhakar R. Transcriptional Regulation of Protein Synthesis by Mediator Kinase in MYC-driven Medulloblastoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.08.584103. [PMID: 38559100 PMCID: PMC10979852 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.08.584103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
MYC-driven medulloblastoma (MB) is a highly aggressive cancer type with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Through CRISPR-Cas9 screening across MB cell lines, we identified the Mediator-associated kinase CDK8 as the top dependence for MYC-driven MB. Loss of CDK8 markedly reduces MYC expression and impedes MB growth. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that CDK8 depletion suppresses ribosome biogenesis and mRNA translation. CDK8 regulates occupancy of phospho-Polymerase II at specific chromatin loci facilitating an epigenetic alteration that promotes transcriptional regulation of ribosome biogenesis. Additionally, CDK8-mediated phosphorylation of 4EBP1 plays a crucial role in initiating eIF4E-dependent translation. Targeting CDK8 effectively suppresses cancer stem and progenitor cells, characterized by increased ribosome biogenesis activity. We also report the synergistic inhibition of CDK8 and mTOR in vivo and in vitro . Overall, our findings establish a connection between transcription and translation regulation, suggesting a promising therapeutic approach targets multiple points in the protein synthesis network for MYC-driven MB.
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3
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Horvath RM, Brumme ZL, Sadowski I. CDK8 inhibitors antagonize HIV-1 reactivation and promote provirus latency in T cells. J Virol 2023; 97:e0092323. [PMID: 37671866 PMCID: PMC10537590 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00923-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Latent HIV-1 provirus represents the barrier toward a cure for infection and is dependent upon the host RNA Polymerase (Pol) II machinery for reemergence. Here, we find that inhibitors of the RNA Pol II mediator kinases CDK8/19, Senexin A and BRD6989, inhibit induction of HIV-1 expression in response to latency-reversing agents and T cell signaling agonists. These inhibitors were found to impair recruitment of RNA Pol II to the HIV-1 LTR. Furthermore, HIV-1 expression in response to several latency reversal agents was impaired upon disruption of CDK8 by shRNA or gene knockout. However, the effects of CDK8 depletion did not entirely mimic CDK8/19 kinase inhibition suggesting that the mediator kinases are not functionally redundant. Additionally, treatment of CD4+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from people living with HIV-1 and who are receiving antiretroviral therapy with Senexin A inhibited induction of viral replication in response to T cell stimulation by PMA and ionomycin. These observations indicate that the mediator kinases, CDK8 and CDK19, play a significant role for regulation of HIV-1 transcription and that small molecule inhibitors of these enzymes may contribute to therapies designed to promote deep latency involving the durable suppression of provirus expression. IMPORTANCE A cure for HIV-1 infection will require novel therapies that can force elimination of cells that contain copies of the virus genome inserted into the cell chromosome, but which is shut off, or silenced. These are known as latently-infected cells, which represent the main reason why current treatment for HIV/AIDS cannot cure the infection because the virus in these cells is unaffected by current drugs. Our results indicate that chemical inhibitors of Cdk8 also inhibit the expression of latent HIV provirus. Cdk8 is an important enzyme that regulates the expression of genes in response to signals to which cells need to respond and which is produced by a gene that is frequently mutated in cancers. Our observations indicate that Cdk8 inhibitors may be employed in novel therapies to prevent expression from latent provirus, which might eventually enable infected individuals to cease treatment with antiretroviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley M. Horvath
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Epigenetics Group, LSI, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zabrina L. Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ivan Sadowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Epigenetics Group, LSI, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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4
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Kuchur OA, Zavisrskiy AV, Shtil AA. Transcriptional Reprogramming Regulates Tumor Cell Survival in Response to Ionizing Radiation: a Role of p53. Bull Exp Biol Med 2023; 174:659-665. [PMID: 37060380 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-023-05764-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Senexin B, a non-toxic selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent protein kinases 8 and 19 (CDK8 and CDK19), in combination with γ-photon irradiation in doses of 2-10 Gy increased the death of colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT116 (intact p53) in a logarithmically growing culture, which was accompanied by the prevention of cell cycle arrest and a decrease of "senescence" phenotype. The effect of senexin B in cells with intact p53 is similar to that of Tp53 gene knockout: irradiated HCT116p53KO cells passed through the interphase and died independently of senexin B. The inhibitor reduced the ability of cells to colony formation in response to irradiation; p53 status did not affect the effectiveness of the combination of radiation and senexin B. Thus, the CDK8/19 inhibitor senexin B increased cell sensitivity to radiotherapy by mechanisms dependent and independent of p53 status.
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Affiliation(s)
- O A Kuchur
- SCAMT Institute, St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics (ITMO University), St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - A V Zavisrskiy
- SCAMT Institute, St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics (ITMO University), St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A A Shtil
- SCAMT Institute, St. Petersburg National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics (ITMO University), St. Petersburg, Russia
- N. N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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5
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Fanta BS, Lenjisa J, Teo T, Kou L, Mekonnen L, Yang Y, Basnet SKC, Hassankhani R, Sykes MJ, Yu M, Wang S. Discovery of N,4-Di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine-Derived CDK2 Inhibitors as Potential Anticancer Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28072951. [PMID: 37049714 PMCID: PMC10096391 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28072951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) has been garnering considerable interest as a target to develop new cancer treatments and to ameliorate resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors. However, a selective CDK2 inhibitor has yet to be clinically approved. With the desire to discover novel, potent, and selective CDK2 inhibitors, the phenylsulfonamide moiety of our previous lead compound 1 was bioisosterically replaced with pyrazole derivatives, affording a novel series of N,4-di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidin-2-amines that exhibited potent CDK2 inhibitory activity. Among them, 15 was the most potent CDK2 inhibitor (Ki = 0.005 µM) with a degree of selectivity over other CDKs tested. Meanwhile, this compound displayed sub-micromolar antiproliferative activity against a panel of 13 cancer cell lines (GI50 = 0.127–0.560 μM). Mechanistic studies in ovarian cancer cells revealed that 15 reduced the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma at Thr821, arrested cells at the S and G2/M phases, and induced apoptosis. These results accentuate the potential of the N,4-di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine scaffold to be developed into potent and selective CDK2 inhibitors for the treatment of cancer.
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6
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Discovery of a novel oral type Ⅰ CDK8 inhibitor against acute myeloid leukemia. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115214. [PMID: 36889252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
CDK8 plays a key role in acute myeloid leukemia, colorectal cancer and other cancers. Here, a total of 54 compounds were designed and synthesized. Among them, the most potent one compound 43 (3-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)benzamide), a novel CDK8 Ⅰ inhibitor, showed strong inhibitory activity against CDK8 (IC50 = 51.9 nM), good kinase selectivity, good anti AML cell proliferation activity (molm-13 GC50 = 1.57 ± 0.59 μM) and low toxicity in vivo (acute toxicity: 2000 mg/kg). Further mechanistic studies revealed that this compound could target CDK8 and then phosphorylate STAT-1 and STAT-5 thereby inhibiting of AML cell proliferation. In addition, compound 43 showed relatively good bioavailability (F = 28.00%) and could inhibit the growth of AML tumors in a dose-dependent manner in vivo. This study facilitates the further development of more potent CDK8 inhibitors for the treatment of the AML.
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7
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Fanta BS, Mekonnen L, Basnet SKC, Teo T, Lenjisa J, Khair NZ, Kou L, Tadesse S, Sykes MJ, Yu M, Wang S. 2-Anilino-4-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidine-derived CDK2 inhibitors as anticancer agents: Design, synthesis & evaluation. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 80:117158. [PMID: 36706608 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Deregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) and its activating partners, cyclins A and E, is associated with the pathogenesis of a myriad of human cancers and with resistance to anticancer drugs including CDK4/6 inhibitors. Thus, CDK2 has become an attractive target for the development of new anticancer therapies and for the amelioration of the resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Bioisosteric replacement of the thiazole moiety of CDKI-73, a clinically trialled CDK inhibitor, by a pyrazole group afforded 9 and 19 that displayed potent CDK2-cyclin E inhibition (Ki = 0.023 and 0.001 μM, respectively) with submicromolar antiproliferative activity against a panel of cancer cell lines (GI50 = 0.025-0.780 μM). Mechanistic studies on 19 with HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells revealed that the compound reduced the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma at Ser807/811, arrested the cells at the G2/M phase, and induced apoptosis. These results highlight the potential of the 2-anilino-4-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidine series in developing potent and selective CDK2 inhibitors to combat cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biruk Sintayehu Fanta
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Laychiluh Mekonnen
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Sunita K C Basnet
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Theodosia Teo
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Jimma Lenjisa
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Nishat Z Khair
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Lianmeng Kou
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Solomon Tadesse
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Matthew J Sykes
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Mingfeng Yu
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.
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8
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Chen R, Hassankhani R, Long Y, Basnet SKC, Teo T, Yang Y, Mekonnen L, Yu M, Wang S. Discovery of Potent Inhibitors of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases 7 and 9: Design, Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship Analysis and Biological Evaluation. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202200582. [PMID: 36400715 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 7 and 9 are deregulated in various types of human cancer and are thus viewed as therapeutic targets. Accordingly, small-molecule inhibitors of both CDKs are highly sought-after. Capitalising on our previous discovery of CDKI-73, a potent CDK9 inhibitor, medicinal chemistry optimisation was pursued. A number of N-pyridinylpyrimidin-2-amines were rationally designed, chemically synthesised and biologically assessed. Among them, N-(6-(4-cyclopentylpiperazin-1-yl)pyridin-3-yl)-4-(imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine was found to be one of the most potent inhibitors of CDKs 7 and 9 as well as the most effective anti-proliferative agent towards multiple human cancer cell lines. The cellular mode of action of this compound was investigated in MV4-11 acute myeloid leukaemia cells, revealing that the compound dampened the kinase activity of cellular CDKs 7 and 9, arrested the cell cycle at sub-G1 phase and induced apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Chen
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Ramin Hassankhani
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Yi Long
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Sunita K C Basnet
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Theodosia Teo
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Yuchao Yang
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Laychiluh Mekonnen
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Mingfeng Yu
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Shudong Wang
- Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
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9
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Yang Y, Zhang M, Wang Y. The roles of histone modifications in tumorigenesis and associated inhibitors in cancer therapy. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2022; 2:277-290. [PMID: 39036551 PMCID: PMC11256729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone modifications are key factors in chromatin packaging, and are responsible for gene regulation during cell fate determination and development. Abnormal alterations in histone modifications potentially affect the stability of the genome and disrupt gene expression patterns, leading to many diseases, including cancer. In recent years, mounting evidence has shown that various histone modifications altered by aberrantly expressed modifier enzymes contribute to tumor development and metastasis through the induction of epigenetic, transcriptional, and phenotypic changes. In this review, we will discuss the existing histone modifications, both well-studied and rare ones, and their roles in solid tumors and hematopoietic cancers, to identify the molecular pathways involved and investigate targeted therapeutic drugs to reorganize the chromatin and enhance cancer treatment efficiency. Finally, clinical inhibitors of histone modifications are summarized to better understand the developmental stage of cancer therapy in using these drugs to inhibit the histone modification enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cancer and Microbiome, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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10
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Zhang XX, Xiao Y, Yan YY, Wang YM, Jiang H, Wu L, Shi JB, Liu XH. Discovery of the Novel 1 H-Pyrrolo[2,3- b]pyridine Derivative as a Potent Type II CDK8 Inhibitor against Colorectal Cancer. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12095-12123. [PMID: 36068975 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Few targeted drugs were approved for treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Cyclin-dependent kinase 8 played a vital role in regulating transcription and was a key colorectal oncogene associated to colorectal cancer. Here, through de novo drug design and in depth structure-activity relationship analysis, title compound 22, (3-(3-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)phenyl)-N-(4-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)propenamide), was discovered as a potent type II CDK8 inhibitor, which exhibited potent kinase activity with an IC50 value of 48.6 nM and could significantly inhibit tumor growth in xenografts of CRC in vivo. Further mechanism studies indicated that it could target CDK8 to indirectly inhibit β-catenin activity, which caused downregulation of the WNT/β-catenin signal and inducing cell cycle arrest in G2/M and S phases. More importantly, the title compound exhibited low toxicity with good bioavailability (F = 39.8%). These results could provide the reference for design of new type II CDK8 inhibitors against colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Xing Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Yun Xiao
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Yao Yao Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Yu Meng Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Han Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Jing-Bo Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
| | - Xin Hua Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, P. R. China
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11
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Liu Y, Fu L, Wu J, Liu M, Wang G, Liu B, Zhang L. Transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases: Potential drug targets in cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 229:114056. [PMID: 34942431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.114056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the development of the concept of cell cycle and its limiting points, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are considered to play a central role in regulating cell cycle progression. Recent studies have strongly demonstrated that CDKs also has multiple functions, especially in response to extracellular and intracellular signals by interfering with transcriptional events. Consequently, how to inhibit their function has been a hot research topic. It is worth noting that the key role of CDKs in regulating transcription has been explored in recent years, but its related pharmacological targets are less developed, and most inhibitors have not entered the clinical stage. Accordingly, this perspective focus on the biological functions of transcription related CDKs and their complexes, some key upstream and downstream signals, and inhibitors for cancer treatment in recent years. In addition, some corresponding combined treatment strategies will provide a more novel perspective for future cancer remedy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China
| | - Leilei Fu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China
| | - Junhao Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, Innovation Center of Nursing Research, Nursing Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, 610031, Chengdu, China.
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12
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Discovery of a potent, highly selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor of CDK8 through a structure-based optimisation. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 218:113391. [PMID: 33823391 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
CDK8 is deregulated in multiple types of human cancer and is viewed as a therapeutic target for the treatment of the disease. Accordingly, the search for small-molecule inhibitors of CDK8 is being intensified. Capitalising on our initial discovery of AU1-100, a potent CDK8 inhibitor yet with a limited degree of kinase selectivity, a structure-based optimisation was carried out, with a series of new multi-substituted pyridines rationally designed, chemically prepared and biologically evaluated. Such endeavour has culminated in the identification of 42, a more potent CDK8 inhibitor with superior kinomic selectivity and oral bioavailability. The mechanism underlying the anti-proliferative effect of 42 on MV4-11 cells was studied, revealing that the compound arrested the G1 cell cycle and triggered apoptosis. The low risk of hepato- and cardio-toxicity of 42 was estimated. These findings merit further investigation of 42 as a targeted cancer therapeutic.
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