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Donati G, Viviano M, D'Amore VM, Cipriano A, Diakogiannaki I, Amato J, Tomassi S, Brancaccio D, Russomanno P, Di Leva FS, Arosio D, Seneci P, Taliani S, Magiera-Mularz K, Musielak B, Skalniak L, Holak TA, Castellano S, La Pietra V, Marinelli L. A combined approach of structure-based virtual screening and NMR to interrupt the PD-1/PD-L1 axis: Biphenyl-benzimidazole containing compounds as novel PD-L1 inhibitors. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300583. [PMID: 38110703 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300583] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a game-changing approach for cancer treatment. Although monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis have entered the market revolutionizing the treatment landscape of many cancer types, small molecules, although presenting several advantages including the possibility of oral administration and/or reduced costs, struggled to enter in clinical trials, suffering of water insolubility and/or inadequate potency compared with mAbs. Thus, the search for novel scaffolds for both the design of effective small molecules and possible synergistic strategies is an ongoing field of interest. In an attempt to find novel chemotypes, a virtual screening approach was employed, resulting in the identification of new chemical entities with a certain binding capability, the most versatile of which was the benzimidazole-containing compound 10. Through rational design, a small library of its derivatives was synthesized and evaluated. The homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay revealed that compound 17 shows the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 ) in the submicromolar range and notably, differently from the major part of PD-L1 inhibitors, exhibits satisfactory water solubility properties. These findings highlight the potential of benzimidazole-based compounds as novel promising candidates for PD-L1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Donati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Viviano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Tomassi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Valeria La Pietra
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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