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Fan D, Liu P, Li Z, He X, Zhang L, Jiang W, Ang W, Yang T. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel naphthoquinothiazole derivatives as potent antitumor agents through inhibiting STAT3. Bioorg Chem 2024; 150:107565. [PMID: 38905884 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107565] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) has been established as a crucial drug target in the development of antitumor agents. In this study, a series of 21 derivatives of the STAT3 inhibitor napabucasin were designed and synthesized. Through preliminary screening against tumor cell lines, SZ6 emerged as the most potent compound with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 46.3 nM, 66.4 nM, and 53.8 nM against HCT116, HepG2, and Hela cells respectively. Furthermore, SZ6 effectively suppressed tumor invasion and migration in HCT116 cell assays by inducing S-phase arrest and apoptosis through inhibition of Protein Kinase B (PKB/AKT) activity and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The mechanism underlying SZ6's action involves inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation, which was confirmed by western blotting analysis. Additionally, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) demonstrated direct binding between SZ6 and STAT3. Notably, in vivo studies revealed that SZ6 significantly inhibited tumor growth without any observed organ toxicity. Collectively, these findings identify SZ6 as a promising STAT3 inhibitor for colorectal cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmei Fan
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Pingxian Liu
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhilin Li
- Department of General Practice, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China
| | - Xinlian He
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lidan Zhang
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Weiqing Jiang
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wei Ang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei 230061, China.
| | - Tao Yang
- Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Hillebrand L, Liang XJ, Serafim RAM, Gehringer M. Emerging and Re-emerging Warheads for Targeted Covalent Inhibitors: An Update. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7668-7758. [PMID: 38711345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors and other types of covalent modalities have seen a revival in the past two decades, with a variety of new targeted covalent drugs having been approved in recent years. A key feature of such molecules is an intrinsically reactive group, typically a weak electrophile, which enables the irreversible or reversible formation of a covalent bond with a specific amino acid of the target protein. This reactive group, often called the "warhead", is a critical determinant of the ligand's activity, selectivity, and general biological properties. In 2019, we summarized emerging and re-emerging warhead chemistries to target cysteine and other amino acids (Gehringer, M.; Laufer, S. A. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 62, 5673-5724; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01153). Since then, the field has rapidly evolved. Here we discuss the progress on covalent warheads made since our last Perspective and their application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hillebrand
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaojun Julia Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A M Serafim
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehringer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Mo J, Deng L, Peng K, Ouyang S, Ding W, Lou L, Lin Z, Zhu J, Li J, Zhang Q, Wang P, Wen Y, Chen X, Yue P, Lu JJ, Zhu K, Zheng Y, Wang Y, Zhang X. Targeting STAT3-VISTA axis to suppress tumor aggression and burden in acute myeloid leukemia. J Hematol Oncol 2023; 16:15. [PMID: 36849939 PMCID: PMC9969711 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01410-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients obtain limited benefits from current immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), although immunotherapy have achieved encouraging success in numerous cancers. Here, we found that V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA), a novel immune checkpoint, is highly expressed in primary AML cells and associated with poor prognosis of AML patients. Targeting VISTA by anti-VISTA mAb boosts T cell-mediated cytotoxicity to AML cells. Interestingly, high expression of VISTA is positively associated with hyperactive STAT3 in AML. Further evidence showed that STAT3 functions as a transcriptional regulator to modulate VISTA expression by directly binding to DNA response element of VISTA gene. We further develop a potent and selective STAT3 inhibitor W1046, which significantly suppresses AML proliferation and survival. W1046 remarkably enhances the efficacy of VISTA mAb by activating T cells via inhibition of STAT3 signaling and down-regulation of VISTA. Moreover, combination of W1046 and VISTA mAb achieves a significant anti-AML effect in vitro and in vivo. Overall, our findings confirm that VISTA is a potential target for AML therapy which transcriptionally regulated by STAT3 and provide a promising therapeutic strategy for immunotherapy of AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianshan Mo
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Lin Deng
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Keren Peng
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Shumin Ouyang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Wen Ding
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Linlin Lou
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ziyou Lin
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jianzheng Zhu
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jingwei Li
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Qiyi Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Pengyan Wang
- Innovation Practice Center, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Yuanzhen Wen
- Increasepharm (Hengqin) Innovative Medicine Institute Limited, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Xiaobing Chen
- Increasepharm (Hengqin) Innovative Medicine Institute Limited, Zhuhai, 519000, China
| | - Peibin Yue
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Jin-Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, 999078, China
| | - Kai Zhu
- Innovation Practice Center, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130117, China
| | - Yongjiang Zheng
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- National-Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Druggability and New Drug Evaluation, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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