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Lucas SCC, Blackwell JH, Hewitt SH, Semple H, Whitehurst BC, Xu H. Covalent hits and where to find them. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100142. [PMID: 38278484 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Covalent hits for drug discovery campaigns are neither fantastic beasts nor mythical creatures, they can be routinely identified through electrophile-first screening campaigns using a suite of different techniques. These include biophysical and biochemical methods, cellular approaches, and DNA-encoded libraries. Employing best practice, however, is critical to success. The purpose of this review is to look at state of the art covalent hit identification, how to identify hits from a covalent library and how to select compounds for medicinal chemistry programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C C Lucas
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
| | | | - Sarah H Hewitt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hannah Semple
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Hua Xu
- Mechanistic and structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Waltham, USA
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2
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Woodhead AJ, Erlanson DA, de Esch IJP, Holvey RS, Jahnke W, Pathuri P. Fragment-to-Lead Medicinal Chemistry Publications in 2022. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2287-2304. [PMID: 38289623 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02070] [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: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
This Perspective is the eighth in an annual series that summarizes successful fragment-to-lead (F2L) case studies published each year. A tabulated summary of relevant articles published in 2022 is provided, and features such as target class, screening methods, and ligand efficiency are discussed both for the 2022 examples and for the combined examples over the years 2015-2022. In addition, trends and new developments in the field are summarized. In 2022, 18 publications described successful fragment-to-lead studies, including the development of three clinical compounds (MTRX1719, MK-8189, and BI-823911).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Woodhead
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel A Erlanson
- Frontier Medicines, 151 Oyster Point Blvd., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Iwan J P de Esch
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems (AIMMS), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rhian S Holvey
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
| | - Wolfgang Jahnke
- Novartis Biomedical Research, Discovery Sciences, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Puja Pathuri
- Astex Pharmaceuticals, 436 Cambridge Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0QA, United Kingdom
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3
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Zhang YJ, Liang JX, Xu YS, Liu YX, Cui Y, Qiao ZY, Wang H. Covalent drugs based on small molecules and peptides for disease theranostics. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:564-580. [PMID: 37975197 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01138k] [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: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Biomacromolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides, are widely distributed in the human body, and some of them have been recognized as the targets of drugs for disease theranostics. Drugs typically act on targets in two ways: non-covalent bond and covalent bond. Non-covalent bond-based drugs have some disadvantages, such as structural instability and environmental sensitivity. Covalent interactions between drugs and targets have a longer action time, higher affinity and controllability than non-covalent interactions of conventional drugs. With the development of artificial intelligence, covalent drugs have received more attention and have been developed rapidly in pharmaceutical research in recent years. From the perspective of covalent drugs, this review summarizes the design methods and the effects of covalent drugs. Finally, we discuss the application of covalent peptide drugs and expect to provide a new reference for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Jin Zhang
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, P.R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
| | - Jian-Xiao Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Yin-Sheng Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
| | - Yi-Xuan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Yingying Cui
- Department of Food and Drug, Laiwu Vocational and Technical, College, Jinan, China
| | - Zeng-Ying Qiao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
| | - Hao Wang
- Henan Institute of Advanced Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, P.R. China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST), No. 11 Beiyitiao, Zhongguancun, Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
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Bingham M, Pesnot T, Scott AD. Biophysical screening and characterisation in medicinal chemistry. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2023; 62:61-104. [PMID: 37981351 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades the use of biophysical assays and methods in medicinal chemistry has increased significantly, to meet the demands of the novel targets and modalities that drug discoverers are looking to tackle. The desire to obtain accurate affinities, kinetics, thermodynamics and structural data as early as possible in the drug discovery process has fuelled this innovation. This review introduces the principles underlying the techniques in common use and provides a perspective on the weaknesses and strengths of different methods. Case studies are used to further illustrate some of the applications in medicinal chemistry and a discussion of the emerging biophysical methods on the horizon is presented.
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Hocking B, Armstrong A, Mann DJ. Covalent fragment libraries in drug discovery-Design, synthesis, and screening methods. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2023; 62:105-146. [PMID: 37981350 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
As the development of drugs with a covalent mode of action is becoming increasingly popular, well-validated covalent fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) methods have been comparatively slow to keep up with the demand. In this chapter the principles of covalent fragment reactivity, library design, synthesis, and screening methods are explored in depth, focussing on literature examples with direct applications to practical covalent fragment library design and screening. Further, questions about the future of the field are explored and potential useful advances are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad Hocking
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, London, United Kingdom
| | - David J Mann
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Tian Y, Zhang M, Heng P, Hou H, Wang B. Computational Investigations on Reaction Mechanisms of the Covalent Inhibitors Ponatinib and Analogs Targeting the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15223. [PMID: 37894903 PMCID: PMC10607051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As an important cancer therapeutic target, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) are involved in triggering various cellular responses in tumors. Regulation of the ERK signaling pathway by the small molecular inhibitors is highly desired for the sake of cancer therapy. In contrast to the routine inhibitors targeting ERKs through long-range non-bonding interactions, Ponatinib, a covalent inhibitor to ERK2 with a macrocyclic structure characterized by the α,β-C=C unsaturated ketone, can form the stable -C(S)-C(H)-type complex via the four-center barrier due to the nucleophilic addition reaction of the thiol group of the Cys166 residue of ERK2 with the C=C double bond of Ponatinib with reaction free-energy barrier of 47.2 kcal/mol. Reaction mechanisms for the covalent binding were calculated using QM/MM methods and molecular dynamics simulations. The interaction modes and the corresponding binding free energies were obtained for the non-covalent and covalent complexation. The binding free energies of the non-covalent and covalent inhibitions are 14.8 kcal/mol and 33.4 kcal/mol, respectively. The mechanistic study stimulated a rational design on the modified Ponatinib structure by substituting the C=C bond with the C=N bond. It was demonstrated that the new compound exhibits better inhibition activity toward ERK2 in term of both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects through the covalent binding with a lower reaction free-energy barrier of 23.1 kcal/mol. The present theoretical work sheds new light on the development of the covalent inhibitors for the regulation of ERKs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Baoshan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; (Y.T.); (M.Z.); (P.H.); (H.H.)
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Li J, Zhong F, Li M, Liu Y, Wang L, Liu M, Li F, Zhang J, Wu J, Shi Y, Zhang Z, Tu X, Ruan K, Gao J. Two Binding Sites of SARS-CoV-2 Macrodomain 3 Probed by Oxaprozin and Meclomen. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15227-15237. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Fumei Zhong
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Mingwei Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Yaqian Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Mingqing Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Fudong Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Jiahai Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Jihui Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Yunyu Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230026, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoming Tu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Ke Ruan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Jia Gao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei230027, Anhui, P. R. China
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Fu L, Chen S, He G, Chen Y, Liu B. Targeting Extracellular Signal-Regulated Protein Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in Cancer: An Update on Pharmacological Small-Molecule Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13561-13573. [PMID: 36205714 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), the only known substrate of MEK1/2, is located downstream of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) pathway and is associated with the abnormal activation and poor prognosis of cancer. To date, several small-molecule inhibitors of RAS, RAF, and MEK have been reported to make rapid advances in cancer therapy; however, acquired resistance still occurs, thereby weakening the therapeutic efficacy of these inhibitors. Recently, selective inhibition of ERK1/2 has been regarded as a potential cancer therapeutic strategy that can not only effectively block the MAPK pathway but also overcome drug resistance caused by upstream mutations in RAS, RAF, and MEK. Herein, we summarize the oncogenic roles, key signaling network, and the single- and dual-target inhibitors of ERK1/2 in preclinical and clinical trials. Together, these inspiring findings shed new light on the discovery of more small-molecule inhibitors of ERK1/2 as candidate drugs to improve cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Fu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Gu He
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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