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Fang W, Zheng J, Deng L, An Y, Rong D, Wei J, Xiong XF, Wang J, Wang Y. Discovery of the First-in-Class RORγ Covalent Inhibitors for Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1481-1499. [PMID: 38227771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Nuclear receptor receptor-related orphan receptor γ (RORγ) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor and has been established as a key player in castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC) by driving androgen receptor (AR) overexpression, representing a potential therapeutical target for advanced prostate cancers. Here, we report the identification of the first-in-class RORγ covalent inhibitor 29 via the structure-based drug design approach following structure-activity relationship (SAR) exploration. Mass spectrometry assay validated its covalent inhibition mechanism. Compound 29 significantly inhibited RORγ transcriptional activity and remarkably suppressed the expression levels of AR and AR-targeted genes. Compound 29 also exhibited much superior activity in inhibiting the proliferation and colony formation and inducing apoptosis of the CRPC cell lines relative to the positive control 2 and noncovalent control 33. Importantly, it markedly suppressed the tumor growth in a 22Rv1 mouse tumor xenograft model with good safety. These results clearly demonstrate that 29 is a highly potent and selective RORγ covalent inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Fang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianwei Zheng
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lin Deng
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yana An
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Deqin Rong
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianwei Wei
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiao-Feng Xiong
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Junjian Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- Balance-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Lu L, Huang Y, Song M, Sun N, Xia L, Yu M, Zhao M, Qiu R, Chen JA, Zhao Y, Wang H, Guo H, Li Y, Zhu D, Wang Y, Xie Q. Discovery of Biaryl Amide Derivatives as Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable RORγt Agonists for Cancer Immunotherapy. J Med Chem 2023; 66:16091-16108. [PMID: 37982494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
The master transcription factor receptor retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) regulates the differentiation of T-helper 17 (Th17) cells and the production of interleukin-17 (IL-17). Activation of RORγt+ T cells in the tumor microenvironment promotes immune infiltration to more effectively inhibit tumor growth. Therefore, RORγt agonists provide a reachable approach to cancer immunotherapy. Herein, a series of biaryl amide derivatives as novel RORγt agonists were designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Starting from the reported RORγt inverse agonist GSK805 (1), "functionality switching" and structure-based drug optimization led to the discovery of a promising RORγt agonist lead compound 14, which displayed potent and selective RORγt agonist activity and significantly improved metabolic stability. With excellent in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles, compound 14 demonstrated robust efficacy in preclinical tumor models of mouse B16F10 melanoma and LLC lung adenocarcinoma. Taken together, current studies indicate that 14 deserves further investigation as a potential lead RORγt agonist for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lixue Lu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yafei Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meiqi Song
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Nannan Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Li Xia
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mingcheng Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meiling Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ruomeng Qiu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ji-An Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yunpeng Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Huimin Guo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Di Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiong Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
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Pastwińska J, Karwaciak I, Karaś K, Bachorz RA, Ratajewski M. RORγT agonists as immune modulators in anticancer therapy. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189021. [PMID: 37951483 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189021] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
RORγT is a transcription factor that directs the development of Th17 lymphocytes and other IL-17-expressing cells (e.g., Tc17 and ILC3 cells). These cells are involved in the body's defense against pathogenic bacteria and fungi, but they also participate in maintaining the proinflammatory environment in some autoimmune diseases and play a role in the immune system's response to cancer. Similar to other members of the nuclear receptor superfamily, the activity of RORγT is regulated by low-molecular-weight ligands. Therefore, extensive efforts have been dedicated to identifying inverse agonists that diminish the activity of this receptor and subsequently inhibit the development of autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, in the pursuit of an ideal inverse agonist, the development of agonists has been overlooked. It is important to remember that these types of compounds, by stimulating lymphocytes expressing RORγT (Th17 and Tc17), can enhance the immune system's response to tumors. In this review, we present recent advancements in the biology of RORγT agonists and their potential application in anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Pastwińska
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Iwona Karwaciak
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Kaja Karaś
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Rafał A Bachorz
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland
| | - Marcin Ratajewski
- Laboratory of Epigenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lodowa 106, 93-232 Lodz, Poland.
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Sun N, Yu M, Jiang Z, Yang F, Lu L, Xia Y, Zhao Y, Huang Y, Chen S, Chen S, Luo C, Wang Y, Xie Q. Optimization of carbazole carboxamide RORγt agonists: Challenges in improving the metabolic stability and maintaining the agonistic activity. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115213. [PMID: 36905917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115213] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Based on two previously discovered carbazole carboxamide retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) agonists 6 and 7 (t1/2 = 8.7 min and 16.4 min in mouse liver microsome, respectively), new carbazole carboxamides were designed and synthesized according to the molecular mechanism of action (MOA) and metabolic site analysis with the aim of identifying novel RORγt agonists with optimal pharmacological and metabolic profiles. By modifying the "agonist lock" touching substitutions on carbazole ring, introducing heteroatoms into different parts of the molecule and attaching a side chain to the sulfonyl benzyl moiety, several potent RORγt agonists were identified with greatly improved metabolic stability. Best overall properties were achieved in compound (R)-10f with high agonistic activities in RORγt dual FRET (EC50 = 15.6 nM) and Gal4 reporter gene (EC50 = 141 nM) assays and greatly improved metabolic stability (t1/2 > 145 min) in mouse liver microsome. Besides, the binding modes of (R)-10f and (S)-10f in RORγt ligand binding domain (LBD) were also studied. Altogether, the optimization of carbazole carboxamides led to the discovery of (R)-10f as a potential small molecule therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nannan Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China; Fudan Zhangjiang Institute, Shanghai, 201203, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Mingcheng Yu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Zhengyuan Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Feng Yang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China; Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lixue Lu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yuehan Xia
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yunpeng Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yafei Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Song Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shijie Chen
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- Drug Discovery and Design Center, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Qiong Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201203, China; Fudan Zhangjiang Institute, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Haider K, Sharma S, Pokharel YR, Das S, Joseph A, Najmi AK, Ahmad F, Yar MS. Synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies of indole-tethered pyrazoline derivatives as anticancer agents targeting topoisomerase IIα. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:1555-1577. [PMID: 35898169 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
We herein report a new series of indole-tethered pyrazoline derivatives as potent anticancer agents. A total of 12 compounds were designed and synthesized by conventional as well as microwave-irradiated synthesis methods. The latter method results in a significant reduction in the duration of reaction along with improved yields. All synthesized derivatives (7a-7l) were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against A431, HeLa, and MDAMB-231 cell lines. Compounds 7a and 7b were found most potent in the series and demonstrated an IC50 value of 3.17 and 5.16 µM against the A431 cell line, respectively, compared to the standard drug doxorubicin. Compounds 7a and 7b significantly suppress colony formation, migration, and S phase cell cycle arrest of A431 cells. Furthermore, compound 7a regulated the expression of apoptotic proteins causing the downregulation of procaspase 3/9, antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL, and upregulation of proapoptotic protein Bax in a dose-dependent manner. Topoisomerase enzyme inhibition assay confirmed that compounds 7a and 7b can significantly inhibit topoisomerase IIα. In vivo oral acute toxicity of compounds 7a and 7b revealed that both compounds are safe compared to doxorubicin; cardiomyopathy studies showed normal architecture of cardiomyocytes and myofibrils. In addition, molecular docking studies revealed the possible interaction of compounds 7a and 7b within the active binding site of the topoisomerase enzyme. The 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation of compounds 7a and 7b proved that both compounds validate all screening parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kashif Haider
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, South Asian University, New Delhi, India
| | - Yuba Raj Pokharel
- Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, South Asian University, New Delhi, India
| | - Subham Das
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Alex Joseph
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Abul Kalam Najmi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Faiz Ahmad
- Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology, South Asian University, New Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Shahar Yar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
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