1
|
Deng H, Zhang J, Liu L, Zhang H, Han Y, Wu L, Jing Y, Huang M, Zhao L. Discovery of Novel Mcl-1 Inhibitors with a 3-Substituted-1 H-indole-1-yl Moiety Binding to the P1-P3 Pockets to Induce Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39121336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
Mcl-1 is a main antiapoptotic protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is used as a target to develop inhibitors. Currently, potent Mcl-1 inhibitors primarily interact with the P2-P4 pockets of Mcl-1, but pharmacological modulation by targeting the P1 pocket is less explored. We designed a series of 1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid compounds as novel Mcl-1 inhibitors occupying the P1-P3 pockets and evaluated their Mcl-1 inhibition and apoptosis induction in AML cells. Two-dimensional 15N-HSQC spectroscopy indicated that 47 (Ki = 24 nM) bound to the BH3 binding groove, occupied the P1 pocket in Mcl-1, and formed interactions with Lys234 and Val249. 47 exhibited good microsomal stability and pharmacokinetic profiles, with low potential risk of cardiotoxicity. 47 inhibited tumor growth in HL-60 and THP-1 xenograft models with growth inhibition rate of 63.7% and 57.4%, respectively. Collectively, 47 represents a novel Mcl-1 inhibitor targeting the P1-P3 pockets with excellent antileukemia effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linlin Wu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongkui Jing
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lou J, Zhou Q, Lyu X, Cen X, Liu C, Yan Z, Li Y, Tang H, Liu Q, Ding J, Lu Y, Huang H, Xie H, Zhao Y. Discovery of a Covalent Inhibitor That Overcame Resistance to Venetoclax in AML Cells Overexpressing BFL-1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10795-10830. [PMID: 38913996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00291] [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: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Clinical and biological studies have shown that overexpression of BFL-1 is one contributing factor to venetoclax resistance. The resistance might be overcome by a potent BFL-1 inhibitor, but such an inhibitor is rare. In this study, we show that 56, featuring an acrylamide moiety, inhibited the BFL-1/BID interaction with a Ki value of 105 nM. More interestingly, 56 formed an irreversible conjugation adduct at the C55 residue of BFL-1. 56 was a selective BFL-1 inhibitor, and its MCL-1 binding affinity was 10-fold weaker, while it did not bind BCL-2 and BCL-xL. Mechanistic studies showed that 56 overcame venetoclax resistance in isogenic AML cell lines MOLM-13-OE and MV4-11-OE, which both overexpressed BFL-1. More importantly, 56 and venetoclax combination promoted stronger apoptosis induction than either single agent. Collectively, our data show that 56 overcame resistance to venetoclax in AML cells overexpressing BFL-1. These attributes make 56 a promising candidate for future optimization.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Humans
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/chemistry
- Sulfonamides/chemical synthesis
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/pharmacology
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/chemistry
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry
- Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Minor Histocompatibility Antigens/metabolism
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Drug Discovery
- Structure-Activity Relationship
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qianqian Zhou
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xilin Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xinyi Cen
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ziqin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haotian Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Qiupei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jian Ding
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ye Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - He Huang
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan 528400, China
| | - Yujun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zuchongzhi Rd. Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biopharmaceuticals, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinan 250101, China
- Key Laboratory of Protection, Development and Utilization of Medicinal Resources in Liupanshan Area, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gong Q, Li C, Wang H, Cao J, Li Z, Zhou M, Li Y, Chu Y, Liu H, Wang R. Discovery of Phenylpyrazole Derivatives as a New Class of Selective Inhibitors of MCL-1 with Antitumor Activity. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:27369-27396. [PMID: 38947842 PMCID: PMC11209699 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
MCL-1, an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, is dysregulated and overexpressed in various tumors. In tumors with MCL-1 overexpression, selective inhibitors of MCL-1 are expected to overcome the drug resistance caused by BCL-2 inhibitors currently used in clinical treatment. Here, we employed docking-based virtual screening to identify an active hit, LC126, with binding affinity around 10 μM for MCL-1 and BCL-2. Under the guidance of structure-based design, we obtained a few selective inhibitors of MCL-1 after three rounds of structural optimization. The representative compound GQN-B37-E exhibited binding affinity for MCL-1 at the submicromolar range (K i = 0.6 μM) without apparent binding to BCL-2 or BCL-XL. 15N-heteronuclear single-quantum coherence NMR spectra suggested that this compound binds to the BH3-domain-binding pocket in the MCL-1 surface. Cellular assays revealed that GQN-B37-Me, the precursor of GQN-B37-E, is effective particularly on leukemia cells (such as H929 and MV-4-11) to induce caspase-dependent apoptosis. Its interaction with MCL-1 in cells was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Administration of GQN-B37-Me to MV-4-11 xenograft mice at 50 mg/kg every 2 days for 20 days led to 43% tumor growth inhibition. GQN-B37-Me also exhibited reasonable in vitro stability in GSH and liver microsomes from several species. This new class of MCL-1 inhibitor may have potential to be further developed into a preclinical candidate for treating leukemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Chunpu Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Jinrui Cao
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Zuo Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yong Chu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Hong Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Deng H, Han Y, Liu L, Zhang H, Liu D, Wen J, Huang M, Zhao L. Targeting Myeloid Leukemia-1 in Cancer Therapy: Advances and Directions. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5963-5998. [PMID: 38597264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01998] [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: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
As a tripartite cell death switch, B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family members precisely regulate the endogenous apoptosis pathway in response to various cell signal stresses through protein-protein interactions. Myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), a key anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, is positioned downstream in the endogenous apoptotic pathway and plays a central role in regulating mitochondrial function. Mcl-1 is highly expressed in a variety of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, contributing to tumorigenesis, poor prognosis, and chemoresistance, making it an attractive target for cancer treatment. This Perspective aims to discuss the mechanism by which Mcl-1 regulates apoptosis and non-apoptotic functions in cancer cells and to outline the discovery and optimization process of potent Mcl-1 modulators. In addition, we summarize the structural characteristics of potent inhibitors that bind to Mcl-1 through multiple co-crystal structures and analyze the cardiotoxicity caused by current Mcl-1 inhibitors, providing prospects for rational targeting of Mcl-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jiachen Wen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang Y, Shan L, Tang W, Ge Y, Li C, Zhang J. Recent Discovery and Development of Inhibitors that Target CDK9 and Their Therapeutic Indications. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5185-5215. [PMID: 38564299 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00312] [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: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
CDK9 is a cyclin-dependent kinase that plays pivotal roles in multiple cellular functions including gene transcription, cell cycle regulation, DNA damage repair, and cellular differentiation. Targeting CDK9 is considered an attractive strategy for antitumor therapy, especially for leukemia and lymphoma. Several potent small molecule inhibitors, exemplified by TG02 (4), have progressed to clinical trials. However, many of them face challenges such as low clinical efficacy and multiple adverse reactions and may necessitate the exploration of novel strategies to lead to success in the clinic. In this perspective, we present a comprehensive overview of the structural characteristics, biological functions, and preclinical status of CDK9 inhibitors. Our focus extends to various types of inhibitors, including pan-inhibitors, selective inhibitors, dual-target inhibitors, degraders, PPI inhibitors, and natural products. The discussion encompasses chemical structures, structure-activity relationships (SARs), biological activities, selectivity, and therapeutic potential, providing detailed insight into the diverse landscape of CDK9 inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuming Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-system and Multimorbidity Laboratory and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
- West China College of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
| | - Lianhai Shan
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031 Sichuan, China
| | - Wentao Tang
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-system and Multimorbidity Laboratory and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
| | - Yating Ge
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-system and Multimorbidity Laboratory and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
| | - ChengXian Li
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-system and Multimorbidity Laboratory and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
| | - Jifa Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Neuro-system and Multimorbidity Laboratory and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041 Sichuan, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Faraji N, Daly NL, Arab SS, Khosroushahi AY. In silico design of potential Mcl-1 peptide-based inhibitors. J Mol Model 2024; 30:108. [PMID: 38499818 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-024-05901-8] [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: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT BIM (Bcl-2 interacting mediator of apoptosis)-derived peptides that specifically target over-expressed Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukemia-1) protein and induce apoptosis are potentially anti-cancer agents. Since the helicity of BIM-derived peptides has a crucial role in their functionality, a range of strategies have been used to increase the helicity including the introduction of unnatural residues and stapling methods that have some drawbacks such as the accumulation in the liver. To avoid these drawbacks, this study aimed to design a more helical peptide by utilizing bioinformatics algorithms and molecular dynamics simulations without exploiting unnatural residues and stapling methods. MM-PBSA results showed that the mutations of A4fE and A2eE in analogue 5 demonstrate a preference towards binding with Mcl-1. As evidenced by Circular dichroism results, the helicity increases from 18 to 34%, these findings could enhance the potential of analogue 5 as an anti-cancer agent targeting Mcl-1. The applied strategies in this research could shed light on the in silico peptide design. Moreover, analogue 5 as a drug candidate can be evaluated in vitro and in vivo studies. METHODS The sequence of the lead peptide was determined using the ApInAPDB database and PRALINE program. Contact finder and PDBsum web server softwares were used to determine the contact involved amino acids in complex with Mcl-1. All identified salt bridge contributing residues were unaltered to preserve the binding affinity. After proposing novel analogues, their secondary structures were predicted by Cham finder web server software and GOR, Neural Network, and Chou-Fasman algorithms. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations run for 100 ns were done using the GROMACS, version 5.0.7, with the CHARMM36 force field. MM-PBSA was used to assess binding affinity specificity in targeting Mcl-1 and Bcl-xL (B-cell lymphoma extra-large).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naser Faraji
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, Iran
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Norelle L Daly
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia
| | - Seyed Shahriar Arab
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Yari Khosroushahi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Daneshgah Street, Tabriz, Iran.
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Gong Q, Wang H, Zhou M, Zhou L, Wang R, Li Y. B-cell lymphoma-2 family proteins in the crosshairs: Small molecule inhibitors and activators for cancer therapy. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:707-737. [PMID: 37983840 DOI: 10.1002/med.21999] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family of proteins plays a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis, offering a dual mechanism for its control. Numerous studies have established a strong association between gene disorders of these proteins and the proliferation of diverse cancer cell types. Consequently, the identification and development of drugs targeting BCL-2 family proteins have emerged as a prominent area in antitumor therapy. Over the last two decades, several small-molecules have been designed to modulate the protein-protein interactions between anti- and proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, effectively suppressing tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. The primary focus of research has been on developing BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) mimetics to target antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, thereby competitively releasing proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins and restoring the blocked intrinsic apoptotic program. Additionally, for proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, exogenous small molecules have been explored to activate cell apoptosis by directly interacting with executioner proteins such as BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) or BCL-2 homologous antagonist/killer protein (BAK). In this comprehensive review, we summarize the inhibitors and activators (sensitizers) of BCL-2 family proteins developed over the past decades, highlighting their discovery, optimization, preclinical and clinical status, and providing an overall landscape of drug development targeting these proteins for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Acton A, Placzek WJ. Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 Small Molecule Inhibitor S63845 Synergizes with Cisplatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4481. [PMID: 37760451 PMCID: PMC10526511 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15184481] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer that lacks specific molecular targets that are often used for therapy. The refractory rate of TNBC to broad-spectrum chemotherapy remains high; however, the combination of newly developed treatments with the current standard of care has delivered promising anti-tumor effects. One mechanism employed by TNBC to avoid cell death is the increased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1). Multiple studies have demonstrated that increased MCL1 expression enables resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. In addition to suppressing apoptosis, we recently demonstrated that MCL1 also binds and negatively regulates the transcriptional activity of TP73. TP73 upregulation is a critical driver of cisplatin-induced DNA damage response, and ultimately, cell death. We therefore sought to determine if the coadministration of an MCL1-targeted inhibitor with cisplatin could produce a synergistic response in TNBC. This study demonstrates that the MCL1 inhibitor, S63845, combined with cisplatin synergizes by inducing apoptosis while also decreasing proliferation in a subset of TNBC cell lines. The use of combined MCL1 inhibitors with cisplatin in TNBC effectively initiates TAp73 anti-tumor effects on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. This observation provides a molecular profile that can be exploited to identify sensitive TNBCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - William J. Placzek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wang H, Guo M, Wei H, Chen Y. Structural basis of the specificity and interaction mechanism of Bmf binding to pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3760-3767. [PMID: 37560128 PMCID: PMC10407628 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The apoptotic pathway is regulated by protein-protein interactions between members of the Bcl-2 family. Pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins act as cell guardians and protect cells against death. Selective binding and neutralization of BH3-only proteins with pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins is critical for initiating apoptosis. In this study, the binding assay shows that the BH3 peptide derived from the BH3-only protein Bmf has a high affinity for the pro-survival proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but a much lower affinity for Mcl-1. The complex structures of Bmf BH3 with Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 reveal that the α-helical Bmf BH3 accommodates into the canonical groove of these pro-survival proteins, but the conformational changes and some interactions are different among the three complexes. Bmf BH3 forms conserved hydrophobic and salt bridge interactions with Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and also establishes several hydrogen bonds to support their binding. However, the highly conserved Asp-Arg salt bridge is not formed in the Mcl-1/Bmf BH3 complex, and few hydrogen bonds are observed. Furthermore, mutational analysis shows that substitutions of less-conserved residues in the α2-α3 region of these pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins, as well as the highly conserved Arg, lead to significant changes in their binding affinity to Bmf BH3, while substitutions of less-conserved residues in Bmf BH3 have a more dramatic effect on its affinity to Mcl-1. This study provides structural insight into the specificity and interaction mechanism of Bmf BH3 binding to pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins, and helps guide the design of BH3 mimics targeting pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haolan Wang
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Hudie Wei
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhang A, Guo Z, Ren JX, Chen H, Yang W, Zhou Y, Pan L, Chen Z, Ren F, Chen Y, Zhang M, Peng F, Chen W, Wang X, Zhang Z, Wu H. Development of an MCL-1-related prognostic signature and inhibitors screening for glioblastoma. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1162540. [PMID: 37538176 PMCID: PMC10394558 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1162540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The effect of the conventional treatment methods of glioblastoma (GBM) is poor and the prognosis of patients is poor. The expression of MCL-1 in GBM is significantly increased, which shows a high application value in targeted therapy. In this study, we predicted the prognosis of glioblastoma patients, and therefore constructed MCL-1 related prognostic signature (MPS) and the development of MCL-1 small molecule inhibitors. Methods: In this study, RNA-seq and clinical data of 168 GBM samples were obtained from the TCGA website, and immunological analysis, differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis were performed. Subsequently, MCL-1-associated prognostic signature (MPS) was constructed and validated by LASSO Cox analysis, and a nomogram was constructed to predict the prognosis of patients. Finally, the 17931 small molecules downloaded from the ZINC15 database were screened by LibDock, ADME, TOPKAT and CDOCKER modules and molecular dynamics simulation in Discovery Studio2019 software, and two safer and more effective small molecule inhibitors were finally selected. Results: Immunological analysis showed immunosuppression in the MCL1_H group, and treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors had a positive effect. Differential expression gene analysis identified 449 differentially expressed genes. Build and validate MPS using LASSO Cox analysis. Use the TSHR HIST3H2A, ARGE OSMR, ARHGEF25 build risk score, proved that low risk group of patients prognosis is better. Univariate and multivariate analysis proved that risk could be used as an independent predictor of patient prognosis. Construct a nomogram to predict the survival probability of patients at 1,2,3 years. Using a series of computer-aided techniques, two more reasonable lead compounds ZINC000013374322 and ZINC000001090002 were virtually selected. These compounds have potential inhibitory effects on MCL-1 and provide a basis for the design and further development of MCL-1 specific small molecule inhibitors. Discussion: This study analyzed the effect of MCL-1 on the prognosis of glioblastoma patients from the perspective of immunology, constructed a new prognostic model to evaluate the survival rate of patients, and further screened 2 MCL-1 small molecule inhibitors, which provides new ideas for the treatment and prognosis of glioblastoma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ao Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhen Guo
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-xin Ren
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hongyu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenzhuo Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Clinical College, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lin Pan
- Clinical College, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuopeng Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei Ren
- Clinical College, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Youqi Chen
- Clinical College, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Menghan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Xinxiang, China
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Wanting Chen
- Clinical College, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xinhui Wang
- Department of Hematology, The First Clinical Medical School of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Zhiyun Zhang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wolf E, Lento C, Pu J, Dickinson BC, Wilson DJ. Innate Conformational Dynamics Drive Binding Specificity in Anti-Apoptotic Proteins Mcl-1 and Bcl-2. Biochemistry 2023; 62:1619-1630. [PMID: 37192192 PMCID: PMC10249625 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The structurally conserved B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of protein function to promote or inhibit apoptosis through an exceedingly complex web of specific, intrafamilial protein-protein interactions. The critical role of these proteins in lymphomas and other cancers has motivated a widespread interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive specificity in Bcl-2 family interactions. However, the high degree of structural similarity among Bcl-2 homologues has made it difficult to rationalize the highly specific (and often divergent) binding behavior exhibited by these proteins using conventional structural arguments. In this work, we use time-resolved hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to explore shifts in conformational dynamics associated with binding partner engagement in the Bcl-2 family proteins Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Using this approach combined with homology modeling, we reveal that Mcl-1 binding is driven by a large-scale shift in conformational dynamics, while Bcl-2 complexation occurs primarily through a classical charge compensation mechanism. This work has implications for understanding the evolution of internally regulated biological systems composed of structurally similar proteins and for the development of drugs targeting Bcl-2 family proteins for promotion of apoptosis in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Esther Wolf
- Department
of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Cristina Lento
- Department
of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Jinyue Pu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Bryan C. Dickinson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Derek J. Wilson
- Department
of Chemistry, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Carico C, Cui J, Acton A, Placzek WJ. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) contains a novel regulatory sequence, the rBH3, that binds the pro-survival protein MCL1. J Biol Chem 2023:104778. [PMID: 37142223 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104778] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The maturation of RNA from its nascent transcription to ultimate utilization (e.g., translation, miR-mediated RNA silencing, etc.) involves an intricately coordinated series of biochemical reactions regulated by RNA binding proteins (RBPs). Over the past several decades, there has been extensive effort to elucidate the biological factors that control the specificity and selectivity of RNA target binding and downstream function. Polypyrimidine tract binding protein 1 (PTBP1) is an RBP that is involved in all steps of RNA maturation and serves as a key regulator of alternative splicing, and therefore understanding its regulation is of critical biologic importance. While several mechanisms of RBP specificity have been proposed (e.g., cell-specific expression of RBPs and secondary structure of target RNA), recently protein-protein interactions with individual domains of RBPs have been suggested to be important determinants of downstream function. Here we demonstrate a novel binding interaction between the first RNA recognition motif (RRM1) of PTBP1 and the pro-survival protein MCL1. Using both in silico and in vitro analyses, we demonstrate that MCL1 binds a novel regulatory sequence on RRM1, termed the rBH3. NMR spectroscopy reveals this interaction allosterically perturbs key residues in the RNA binding interface of RRM1 and negatively impacts RRM1 association with target RNA. Furthermore, pulldown of MCL1 by endogenous PTBP1 verifies that these proteins interact in an endogenous cellular environment, establishing the biological relevance of this binding event. Overall, our findings suggest a novel mechanism of regulation of PTBP1 in which a protein-protein interaction with a single RRM can impact RNA association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Carico
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Jia Cui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - Alexus Acton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - William J Placzek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Identification of phytochemicals from Tundub Capparis decidua (Forssk) Edgew seed oil as potential anticancer agents using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics studies. SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2022.e01517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
|
14
|
Urabe A, Chi S, Minami Y. The Immuno-Oncology and Genomic Aspects of DNA-Hypomethylating Therapeutics in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043727. [PMID: 36835136 PMCID: PMC9961620 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) have been used for decades in the treatment of hematologic neoplasms, and now, have gathered attention again in terms of their combination with potent molecular-targeted agents such as a BCL-6 inhibitor venetoclax and an IDH1 inhibitor ivosidenib, as well as a novel immune-checkpoint inhibitor (anit-CD47 antibody) megrolimab. Several studies have shown that leukemic cells have a distinct immunological microenvironment, which is at least partially due to genetic alterations such as the TP53 mutation and epigenetic dysregulation. HMAs possibly improve intrinsic anti-leukemic immunity and sensitivity to immune therapies such as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and anti-CD47 agents. This review describes the immuno-oncological backgrounds of the leukemic microenvironment and the therapeutic mechanisms of HMAs, as well as current clinical trials of HMAs and/or venetoclax-based combination therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yosuke Minami
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-4-7133-1111; Fax: +81-7133-6502
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yue J, Li Y, Li F, Zhang P, Li Y, Xu J, Zhang Q, Zhang C, He X, Wang Y, Liu Z. Discovery of Mcl-1 inhibitors through virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulations and in vitro experiments. Comput Biol Med 2023; 152:106350. [PMID: 36493735 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.106350] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
As a member of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein family, the myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (Mcl-1) can inhibit apoptosis and plays an active role in the process of tumor escape from apoptosis. Therefore, inhibition of Mcl-1 protein can effectively promote the apoptosis of tumor cells and may also reduce tumor cell resistance to drugs targeting other anti-apoptotic proteins. This research is dedicated to the development of Mcl-1 inhibitors, aiming to provide more references for lead compounds with different scaffolds for the development of targeted anticancer drugs. We obtained a series of small molecules with a common core skeleton through molecular docking from Specs database and searched the core structure in ZINC database for more similar small molecules. Collecting these small molecules for preliminary experimental screening, we found a batch of active compounds, and selected two small molecules with the strongest inhibitory activity on B16F10 cells: compound 7 and compound 1. Their IC50s are 7.86 ± 1.25 and 24.72 ± 1.94 μM, respectively. These two compounds were also put into cell scratch test for B16F10 cells and cell viability assay of other cell lines. Furthermore, through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis, we found that compound 7 formed strong binding with the key P2, P3 pocket and ARG 263 of Mcl-1. Finally, ADME results showed that compound 7 performs well in terms of drug similarity. In conclusion, this study provides hits with co-scaffolds that may aid in the design of effective clinical drugs targeting Mcl-1 and the future drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianda Yue
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Yaqi Li
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Fengjiao Li
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Yimin Li
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Jiawei Xu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China
| | - Xiao He
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Molecule Intelligent Syntheses, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China; New York University-East China Normal University Center for Computational Chemistry, New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Ying Wang
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China.
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Peptide Drug Development, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Aksoy O, Lind J, Sunder-Plaßmann V, Vallet S, Podar K. Bone marrow microenvironment- induced regulation of Bcl-2 family members in multiple myeloma (MM): Therapeutic implications. Cytokine 2023; 161:156062. [PMID: 36332463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2022.156062] [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: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In Multiple Myeloma (MM) the finely tuned homeostasis of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is disrupted. Evasion of programmed cell death (apoptosis) represents a hallmark of cancer. Besides genetic aberrations, the supportive and protective MM BM milieu, which is constituted by cytokines and growth factors, intercellular and cell: extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and exosomes, in particular, plays a key role in the abundance of pro-survival members of the Bcl-2 family (i.e., Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL) in tumor cells. Moreover, microenvironmental cues have also an impact on stability- regulating post-translational modifications of anti-apoptotic proteins including de/phosphorylation, polyubiquitination; on their intracellular binding affinities, and localization. Advances of our molecular knowledge on the escape of cancer cells from apoptosis have informed the development of a new class of small molecules that mimic the action of BH3-only proteins. Indeed, approaches to directly target anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members are among today's most promising therapeutic strategies and BH3-mimetics (i.e., venetoclax) are currently revolutionizing not only the treatment of CLL and AML, but also hold great therapeutic promise in MM. Furthermore, approaches that activate apoptotic pathways indirectly via modification of the tumor microenvironment have already entered clinical practice. The present review article will summarize our up-to-date knowledge on molecular mechanisms by which the MM BM microenvironment, cytokines, and growth factors in particular, mediates tumor cell evasion from apoptosis. Moreover, it will discuss some of the most promising science- derived therapeutic strategies to overcome Bcl-2- mediated tumor cell survival in order to further improve MM patient outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Osman Aksoy
- Molecular Oncology and Hematology Unit, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Judith Lind
- Molecular Oncology and Hematology Unit, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Vincent Sunder-Plaßmann
- Molecular Oncology and Hematology Unit, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Sonia Vallet
- Molecular Oncology and Hematology Unit, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria; Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital Krems, Mitterweg 10, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Klaus Podar
- Molecular Oncology and Hematology Unit, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Dr. Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria; Department of Internal Medicine 2, University Hospital Krems, Mitterweg 10, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lou J, Lu Y, Cheng J, Zhou F, Yan Z, Zhang D, Meng X, Zhao Y. A chemical perspective on the modulation of TEAD transcriptional activities: Recent progress, challenges, and opportunities. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114684. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
18
|
Sancho M, Leiva D, Lucendo E, Orzáez M. Understanding MCL1: from cellular function and regulation to pharmacological inhibition. FEBS J 2022; 289:6209-6234. [PMID: 34310025 PMCID: PMC9787394 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1), an antiapoptotic member of the BCL2 family characterized by a short half-life, functions as a rapid sensor that regulates cell death and other relevant processes that include cell cycle progression and mitochondrial homeostasis. In cancer, MCL1 overexpression contributes to cell survival and resistance to diverse chemotherapeutic agents; for this reason, several MCL1 inhibitors are currently under preclinical and clinical development for cancer treatment. However, the nonapoptotic functions of MCL1 may influence their therapeutic potential. Overall, the complexity of MCL1 regulation and function represent challenges to the clinical application of MCL1 inhibitors. We now summarize the current knowledge regarding MCL1 structure, regulation, and function that could impact the clinical success of MCL1 inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Sancho
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Diego Leiva
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Estefanía Lucendo
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| | - Mar Orzáez
- Targeted Therapies on Cancer and Inflammation LaboratoryCentro de Investigación Príncipe FelipeValenciaSpain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Natural Products as Mcl-1 Inhibitors: A Comparative Study of Experimental and Computational Modelling Data. CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/chemistry4030067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The human myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (hMcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic multi-partner protein, belonging to the B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins. Studies have linked hMcl-1 alleviated expression with resistance to hemopoietic chemotherapeutics, which makes it a key drug target in blood cancers. However, most of the developed small- to medium-sized hMcl-1 inhibitors have typical off-target activity towards other members of the Bcl-2 family. To improve the hMcl-1 inhibitor design, especially exploring a suitable scaffold with pharmacophoric features, we focused on natural hMcl-1 inhibitors. To date, seven classes of natural compounds have been isolated, which display a low micromolar affinity for hMcl-1 and have limited biophysical studies. We screened hMcl-1 co-crystal structures, and identified nine co-crystal structures of hMcl-1 protein, which were later evaluated by multiple receptor conformations (which indicates that the differences between hMcl-1 in crystal structures are low (RMSD values between 0.52 and 1.13 Å, average RMSD of 0.638–0.888 Å, with a standard deviation of 0.102–0.185Å)), and multiple ligand conformations (which led to the selection of the PDB structure, 3WIX (RMSD value = 0.879 Å, standard deviation 0.116 Å), to accommodate various Mcl-1 ligands from a range of co-crystal PDB files) methods. Later, the three adopted docking methods were assessed for their ability to reproduce the conformation bound to the crystal as well as predict trends in Ki values based on calculated RMSD and docking energies. Iterative docking and clustering of the docked pose within ≤1.0 Å was used to evaluate the reproducibility of the adopted docking methods and compared with their experimentally determined hMcl-1 affinity data.
Collapse
|
20
|
Mal S, Malik U, Mahapatra M, Mishra A, Pal D, Paidesetty SK. A review on synthetic strategy, molecular pharmacology of indazole derivatives, and their future perspective. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:1469-1504. [PMID: 35971890 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21979] [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: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
With different nitrogen-containing heterocyclic moieties, Indazoles earn one of the places among the top investigated molecules in medicinal research. Indazole, an important fused aromatic heterocyclic system containing benzene and pyrazole ring with a chemical formula of C7 H6 N2 , is also called benzopyrazole. Indazoles consist of three tautomeric forms in which 1H-tautomers (indazoles) and 2H-tautomers (isoindazoles) exist in all phases. The tautomerism in indazoles greatly influences synthesis, reactivity, physical and even the biological properties of indazoles. The thermodynamic internal energy calculation of these tautomers points view 1H-indazole as the predominant and stable form over 2H-indazole. The natural source of indazole is limited and exists in alkaloidal nature (i.e., nigellidine, nigeglanine, nigellicine, etc.) found from Nigella plants. Some of the FDA-approved drugs like Axitinib, Entrectinib, Niraparib, Benzydamine, and Granisetron are being used to treat renal cell cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), epithelial ovarian cancer, chronic inflammation, chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and many more uses. Besides all these advantages regarding its biological activity, the main issue about indazoles is the less abundance in plant sources, and their synthetic derivatives also often face problems with low yield. In this review article, we discuss its chemistry, tautomerism along with their effects, different schematics for the synthesis of indazole derivatives, and their different biological activities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suvadeep Mal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Udita Malik
- Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Monalisa Mahapatra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | | | - Dilipkumar Pal
- Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Sudhir K Paidesetty
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Des3PI: a fragment-based approach to design cyclic peptides targeting protein-protein interactions. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2022; 36:605-621. [PMID: 35932404 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-022-00468-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in many cellular processes and their deregulation often leads to cellular dysfunctions. One promising way to modulate PPIs is to use peptide derivatives that bind their protein target with high affinity and high specificity. Peptide modulators are often designed using secondary structure mimics. However, fragment-based design is an alternative emergent approach in the PPI field. Most of the reported computational fragment-based libraries targeting PPIs are composed of small molecules or already approved drugs, but, according to our knowledge, no amino acid based library has been reported yet. In this context, we developed a novel fragment-based approach called Des3PI (design of peptides targeting protein-protein interactions) with a library composed of natural amino acids. All the amino acids are docked into the target surface using Autodock Vina. The resulting binding modes are geometrically clustered, and, in each cluster, the most recurrent amino acids are identified and form the hotspots that will compose the designed peptide. This approach was applied on Ras and Mcl-1 proteins, as well as on A[Formula: see text] protofibril. For each target, at least five peptides generated by Des3PI were tested in silico: the peptides were first blindly docked on their target, and then, the stability of the successfully docked complexes was verified using 200 ns MD simulations. Des3PI shows very encouraging results by yielding at least 3 peptides for each protein target that succeeded in passing the two-step assessment.
Collapse
|
22
|
Deng H, Huang M, Liu H, Zhang H, Liu L, Gao B, Li X, Li J, Niu Q, Zhang Z, Luan S, Zhang J, Jing Y, Liu D, Zhao L. Development of a series of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors bearing an indole carboxylic acid moiety. Bioorg Chem 2022; 127:106018. [PMID: 35901526 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106018] [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: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The B cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins regulate cell apoptosis by participating in the endogenous apoptosis pathway. As an important anti-apoptotic protein, Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is overexpressed in a variety of tumor cells, and targeting this protein has been a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, based on the 1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid structure previously discovered, we have developed a series of novel compounds with increased affinities and selectivity toward Mcl-1 through structure-based drug design. Among those compounds, 26 exerted relatively better affinity and selectivity for Mcl-1 with moderate inhibition in HL-60 cells. Mechanism studies showed that compound 26 could induce cancer cells apoptosis in an Mcl-1-dependent manner. It also exhibited good microsomal and plasma stability with acceptable pharmacokinetics profiles. Furthermore, treatment with target compound in a 4T1 xenograft mouse model significantly suppressed the tumor growth. Overall, the small molecule described herein represents a promising Mcl-1 inhibitor for further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Bensheng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xianlu Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jinbo Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qun Niu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Shenglin Luan
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongkui Jing
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jouffroy M, Neufeld K. Synthesis of Atropisomeric Biaryls via Chiral Suzuki–Miyaura/Enzymatic Kinetic Resolution. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Jouffroy
- Chemical Process R&D, Discovery Process Research, Janssen Pharmarceutcia N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Katharina Neufeld
- Chemical Process R&D, High Throughput Experimentation, Janssen Pharmarceutcia N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Byadi S, Sadik K, Hachim ME, Daoudi M, Podlipnik Č, Aboulmouhajir A. Discovery of a New Mcl‐1 Protein Inhibitor through the QSAR Approach and Molecular Docking Study. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.202100590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Said Byadi
- Organic Synthesis Extraction and Valorization Laboratory Team of Extraction Spectroscopy and Valorization Sciences Faculty of Ain Chock Hassan II University Casablanca 20100 Morocco
| | - Karima Sadik
- Team of Molecular Modelling and Spectroscopy Sciences Faculty Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida 24000 Morocco
| | - Mouhi Eddine Hachim
- Team of Molecular Modelling and Spectroscopy Sciences Faculty Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida 24000 Morocco
| | - Mohamed Daoudi
- Laboratory of Organic and Bio‐Organic Chemistry and the Environment Sciences Faculty Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida 24000 Morocco
| | - Črtomir Podlipnik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology University of Ljubljana Ljubljana 1000 Slovenia
| | - Aziz Aboulmouhajir
- Organic Synthesis Extraction and Valorization Laboratory Team of Extraction Spectroscopy and Valorization Sciences Faculty of Ain Chock Hassan II University Casablanca 20100 Morocco
- Team of Molecular Modelling and Spectroscopy Sciences Faculty Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida 24000 Morocco
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Deng X, Long J, Wang W, Xia S, Wan Y. Design, Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Studies of Thiazolidine-2,4-dione Derivatives as Mcl-1 Inhibitors. RUSS J GEN CHEM+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1070363222030148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
26
|
Wang Z, Ji H. Characterization of Hydrophilic α-Helical Hot Spots on the Protein-Protein Interaction Interfaces for the Design of α-Helix Mimetics. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:1873-1890. [PMID: 35385659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cooperativity index, Kc, was developed to examine the binding synergy between hot spots of the ligand-protein. For the first time, the convergence of the side-chain spatial arrangements of hydrophilic α-helical hot spots Thr, Tyr, Asp, Asn, Ser, Cys, and His in protein-protein interaction (PPI) complex structures was disclosed and quantified by developing novel clustering models. In-depth analyses revealed the driving force for the protein-protein binding conformation convergence of hydrophilic α-helical hot spots. This observation allows deriving pharmacophore models to design new mimetics for hydrophilic α-helical hot spots. A computational protocol was developed to search amino acid analogues and small-molecule mimetics for each hydrophilic α-helical hot spot. As a pilot study, diverse building blocks of commercially available nonstandard L-type α-amino acids and the phenyl ring-containing small-molecule fragments were obtained, which serve as a fragment collection to mimic hydrophilic α-helical hot spots for the improvement of binding affinity, selectivity, physicochemical properties, and synthesis accessibility of α-helix mimetics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Departments of Chemistry and Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-9497, United States
| | - Haitao Ji
- Drug Discovery Department, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612-9497, United States.,Departments of Chemistry and Oncologic Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620-9497, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Zhang Z, Hou L, Bai L, Pei J, Zhao S, Luan S, Liu D, Huang M, Zhao L. Discovery and structure-activity relationship studies of novel Bcl-2/Mcl-1 dual inhibitors with indole scaffold. Bioorg Chem 2022; 125:105845. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
28
|
Feng X, Yan Z, Zhou F, Lou J, Lyu X, Ren X, Zeng Z, Liu C, Zhang S, Zhu D, Huang H, Yang J, Zhao Y. Discovery of a selective and covalent small-molecule inhibitor of BFL-1 protein that induces robust apoptosis in cancer cells. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 236:114327. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
29
|
Gu YQ, Shen WY, Yang QY, Chen ZF, Liang H. Ru(III) complexes with pyrazolopyrimidines as anticancer agents: bioactivities and the underlying mechanisms. Dalton Trans 2022; 51:1333-1343. [PMID: 34989734 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt02765d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Three ruthenium(III) complexes with pyrazolopyrimidine [Ru(Ln)(H2O)Cl3] (1-3, n = 1-3) were prepared and characterized. These Ru(III) compounds show strong cytotoxicity against six cancer cell lines and low toxicity to normal human liver cells. Particularly, they exhibited stronger cytotoxicity to SK-OV-3 cells than cisplatin. Mechanism studies revealed that complex 1 inhibited tumor cell invasion and suppressed cell proliferation, induced apoptosis by elevating the levels of intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species) and free calcium (Ca2+), and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ). It also activated the caspase cascade, accompanied with upregulation of cytochrome c, Bax, p53, Apaf-1 and downregulation of Bcl-2. Moreover, complex 1 caused cell cycle arrest at S phase by inhibiting the expression of CDC 25, cyclin A2 and CDK 2 proteins, and induced DNA damage by interacting with DNA and inhibiting the topoisomerase I enzyme. Complex 1 exhibited efficient in vivo anticancer activity in a model of SK-OV-3 tumor xenograft.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Qiong Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China. .,School of Environment and Life Science, Nanning Normal University, Nanning, 530001, P. R China
| | - Wen-Ying Shen
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China.
| | - Qi-Yuan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China.
| | - Zhen-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China.
| | - Hong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Guangxi Ethnic Medicine, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Sabanés Zariquiey F, Jacoby E, Vos A, van Vlijmen HWT, Tresadern G, Harvey J. Divide and Conquer. Pocket-Opening Mixed-Solvent Simulations in the Perspective of Docking Virtual Screening Applications for Drug Discovery. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:533-543. [PMID: 35041430 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The existence of a druggable binding pocket is a prerequisite for computational drug-target interaction studies including virtual screening. Retrospective studies have shown that extended sampling methods like Markov State Modeling and mixed-solvent simulations can identify cryptic pockets relevant for drug discovery. Here, we apply a combination of mixed-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) and time-structure independent component analysis (TICA) to four retrospective case studies: NPC2, the CECR2 bromodomain, TEM-1, and MCL-1. We compare previous experimental and computational findings to our results. It is shown that the successful identification of cryptic pockets depends on the system and the cosolvent probes. We used alternative TICA internal features such as the unbiased backbone coordinates or backbone dihedrals versus biased interatomic distances. We found that in the case of NPC2, TEM-1, and MCL-1, the use of unbiased features is able to identify cryptic pockets, although in the case of the CECR2 bromodomain, more specific features are required to properly capture a pocket opening. In the perspective of virtual screening applications, it is shown how docking studies with the parent ligands depend critically on the conformational state of the targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Edgar Jacoby
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ann Vos
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Herman W T van Vlijmen
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Gary Tresadern
- Computational Chemistry, Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jeremy Harvey
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Justaud F, Paysant H, Weiswald LB, Jebahi A, Jouanne M, Elie N, Voisin-Chiret AS, Roisnel T, Orione C, Levoin N, Poulain L, Grée R. Synthesis and biological evaluation of FJ-809, a compound originally described as MIM1 and an inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic protein Mcl-1. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d1nj05987d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The development of inhibitors of anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Mcl-1, is currently a very active area in the field of cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Justaud
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes), UMR 6226, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Hippolyte Paysant
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE «Unité de Recherche Interdisciplinaire pour la Prévention et le Traitement des Cancers», France
- UNICANCER, Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, 3 avenue du Général Harris, 14076, Caen, France
| | - Louis Bastien Weiswald
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE «Unité de Recherche Interdisciplinaire pour la Prévention et le Traitement des Cancers», France
- UNICANCER, Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, 3 avenue du Général Harris, 14076, Caen, France
| | - Abdelghani Jebahi
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE «Unité de Recherche Interdisciplinaire pour la Prévention et le Traitement des Cancers», France
- UNICANCER, Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, 3 avenue du Général Harris, 14076, Caen, France
| | - Marie Jouanne
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, EA 4258 CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie) - FR CNRS INC3M, Caen, France
| | - Nicolas Elie
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Structure Fédérative 4206 ICORE, Centre de Microscopie appliqué à la Biologie (CMABIO3), France
| | - Anne Sophie Voisin-Chiret
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, EA 4258 CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie) - FR CNRS INC3M, Caen, France
| | - Thierry Roisnel
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes), UMR 6226, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Clément Orione
- Univ Rennes, CRMPO (Centre Régional de Mesures Pysiques de l’Ouest), Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
| | - Nicolas Levoin
- Bioprojet-Biotech, 4 rue du Chesnay Beauregard, BP 96205, 35762, Saint Grégoire, France
| | - Laurent Poulain
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE «Unité de Recherche Interdisciplinaire pour la Prévention et le Traitement des Cancers», France
- UNICANCER, Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, 3 avenue du Général Harris, 14076, Caen, France
| | - René Grée
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ISCR (Institut des Sciences Chimiques de Rennes), UMR 6226, F-35000, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Jouffroy M, Pye P, Jerhaoui S, Chen W, Surkyn M. Development of a Concise and Robust Route to a Key Fragment of MCL-1 Inhibitors via Stereoselective Defluoroborylation. J Org Chem 2021; 87:2136-2141. [PMID: 34570981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c01666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
MCL-1 is an attractive target for cancer therapy. We recently discovered highly potent and selective MCL-1 inhibitors containing a fluoroalkene fragment for which an efficient route to the main chiral gem-fluoro-BPin fragment was needed. The key step of this synthesis is a highly stereoselective defluoroborylation of a gem-difluorovinyl intermediate. The latter is reached via a copper-catalyzed diastereoselective opening of dimethyloxirane. These two features allowed a 30-fold improvement in yield, a shorter synthesis, and a decrease in the cost of this crucial building block.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Jouffroy
- Chemical Process R&D, Discovery Process Research, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Philip Pye
- Chemical Process R&D, External Research and Development Capabilities, Janssen Research & Development LLC, 920 U.S. Route 202, P.O. Box 300, Raritan, New Jersey 08869, United States
| | - Soufyan Jerhaoui
- Discovery Science, Discovery Chemistry BE, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Wenyong Chen
- Chemical Process R&D, Discovery Process Research, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Michel Surkyn
- Discovery Science, Discovery Chemistry BE, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Widden H, Placzek WJ. The multiple mechanisms of MCL1 in the regulation of cell fate. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1029. [PMID: 34475520 PMCID: PMC8413315 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02564-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
MCL1 (myeloid cell leukemia-1) is a widely recognized pro-survival member of the Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma protein 2) family and a promising target for cancer therapy. While the role MCL1 plays in apoptosis is well defined, its participation in emerging non-apoptotic signaling pathways is only beginning to be appreciated. Here, we synthesize studies characterizing MCL1s influence on cell proliferation, DNA damage response, autophagy, calcium handling, and mitochondrial quality control to highlight the broader scope that MCL1 plays in cellular homeostasis regulation. Throughout this review, we discuss which pathways are likely to be impacted by emerging MCL1 inhibitors, as well as highlight non-cancerous disease states that could deploy Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3)-mimetics in the future. In this review Widden and Placzek synthesize studies characterizing the influence that myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL1) has on cell proliferation, DNA damage response, autophagy, calcium handling, and mitochondrial quality control to highlight the broader scope that it plays in cellular homeostasis regulation. They discuss which pathways are likely to be impacted by emerging MCL1 inhibitors, as well as highlight non-cancerous disease states that could deploy BH3-mimetics in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Widden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - William J Placzek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Mittal P, Singh S, Sinha R, Shrivastava A, Singh A, Singh IK. Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1): Structural characteristics and application in cancer therapy. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 187:999-1018. [PMID: 34339789 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis, a major hallmark of cancer cells, regulates cellular fate and homeostasis. BCL-2 (B-cell CLL/Lymphoma 2) protein family is popularly known to mediate the intrinsic mode of apoptosis, of which MCL-1 is a crucial member. Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an anti-apoptotic oncoprotein and one of the most investigated members of the BCL-2 family. It is commonly known to be genetically altered, aberrantly overexpressed, and primarily associated with drug resistance in various human cancers. Recent advancements in the development of selective MCL-1 inhibitors and evaluating their effectiveness in cancer treatment establish its popularity as a molecular target. The overall aim is the selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by using a single or combination of BCL-2 family inhibitors. Delineating the precise molecular mechanisms associated with MCL-1-mediated cancer progression will certainly improve the efficacy of clinical interventions aimed at MCL-1 and hence patient survival. This review is structured to highlight the structural characteristics of MCL-1, its specific interactions with NOXA, MCL-1-regulatory microRNAs, and at the same time focus on the emerging therapeutic strategies targeting our protein of interest (MCL-1), alone or in combination with other treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Mittal
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India
| | - Sujata Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India
| | - Rajesh Sinha
- Department of Dermatology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35205, United States of America
| | - Anju Shrivastava
- Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110007, India.
| | - Indrakant Kumar Singh
- Molecular Biology Research Lab, Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Al-Odat O, von Suskil M, Chitren R, Elbezanti W, Srivastava S, Budak-Alpddogan T, Jonnalagadda S, Aggarwal B, Pandey M. Mcl-1 Inhibition: Managing Malignancy in Multiple Myeloma. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:699629. [PMID: 34349655 PMCID: PMC8327170 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.699629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cells neoplasm. The overexpression of Bcl-2 family proteins, particularly myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of MM. The overexpression of Mcl-1 is associated with drug resistance and overall poor prognosis of MM. Thus, inhibition of the Mcl-1 protein considered as a therapeutic strategy to kill the myeloma cells. Over the last decade, the development of selective Mcl-1 inhibitors has seen remarkable advancement. This review presents the critical role of Mcl-1 in the progression of MM, the most prominent BH3 mimetic and semi-BH3 mimetic that selectively inhibit Mcl-1, and could be used as single agent or combined with existing therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omar Al-Odat
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Max von Suskil
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Robert Chitren
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | - Weam Elbezanti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States.,Department of Hematology, Cooper Health University, Camden, NJ, United States
| | | | | | - Subash Jonnalagadda
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, United States
| | | | - Manoj Pandey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Niu Q, Deng H, Zhang Z, Xu Q, Luan S, Huang M, Liu D, Zhao L. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dual Bcl-2/Mcl-1 inhibitors bearing 2-(1H-indol-4-yl)benzoic acid scaffold. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 47:128215. [PMID: 34153472 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The anti-apoptotic protein inhibitors of the B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family have been developed as new anticancer therapies. Numerous studies illustrated the great potential in the development of dual Bcl-2/myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) inhibitors. Herein, we reported a series of Bcl-2/Mcl-1 inhibitors that optimized from a hit compound 1 via structure-based rational design. The biological evaluation suggested that most compounds exhibited potent binding affinities at submicromolar to both Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 without any Bcl-xL binding affinities, especially compound 9o, with a Ki value of 0.07 μM to Mcl-1 and 0.66 μM to Bcl-2, that has great potential for developing dual inhibitors targeting Bcl-2 and Mcl-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qun Niu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qinhao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | | | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Perez JJ, Perez RA, Perez A. Computational Modeling as a Tool to Investigate PPI: From Drug Design to Tissue Engineering. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:681617. [PMID: 34095231 PMCID: PMC8173110 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.681617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate a large number of important regulatory pathways. Their modulation represents an important strategy for discovering novel therapeutic agents. However, the features of PPI binding surfaces make the use of structure-based drug discovery methods very challenging. Among the diverse approaches used in the literature to tackle the problem, linear peptides have demonstrated to be a suitable methodology to discover PPI disruptors. Unfortunately, the poor pharmacokinetic properties of linear peptides prevent their direct use as drugs. However, they can be used as models to design enzyme resistant analogs including, cyclic peptides, peptide surrogates or peptidomimetics. Small molecules have a narrower set of targets they can bind to, but the screening technology based on virtual docking is robust and well tested, adding to the computational tools used to disrupt PPI. We review computational approaches used to understand and modulate PPI and highlight applications in a few case studies involved in physiological processes such as cell growth, apoptosis and intercellular communication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Perez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roman A Perez
- Bioengineering Institute of Technology, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Sant Cugat, Spain
| | - Alberto Perez
- The Quantum Theory Project, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Wang X, Ni D, Liu Y, Lu S. Rational Design of Peptide-Based Inhibitors Disrupting Protein-Protein Interactions. Front Chem 2021; 9:682675. [PMID: 34017824 PMCID: PMC8128998 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.682675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are well-established as a class of promising drug targets for their implications in a wide range of biological processes. However, drug development toward PPIs is inevitably hampered by their flat and wide interfaces, which generally lack suitable pockets for ligand binding, rendering most PPI systems "undruggable." Here, we summarized drug design strategies for developing peptide-based PPI inhibitors. Importantly, several quintessential examples toward well-established PPI targets such as Bcl-2 family members, p53-MDM2, as well as APC-Asef are presented to illustrate the detailed schemes for peptide-based PPI inhibitor development and optimizations. This review supplies a comprehensive overview of recent progresses in drug discovery targeting PPIs through peptides or peptidomimetics, and will shed light on future therapeutic agent development toward the historically "intractable" PPI systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuefei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Duan Ni
- The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yaqin Liu
- Medicinal Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Medicinal Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Wang H, Guo M, Wei H, Chen Y. Targeting MCL-1 in cancer: current status and perspectives. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:67. [PMID: 33883020 PMCID: PMC8061042 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an antiapoptotic protein of the BCL-2 family that prevents apoptosis by binding to the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Overexpression of MCL-1 is frequently observed in many tumor types and is closely associated with tumorigenesis, poor prognosis and drug resistance. The central role of MCL-1 in regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy. Significant progress has been made with regard to MCL-1 inhibitors, some of which have entered clinical trials. Here, we discuss the mechanism by which MCL-1 regulates cancer cell apoptosis and review the progress related to MCL-1 small molecule inhibitors and their role in cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haolan Wang
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Hudie Wei
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Voisin-Chiret AS. Meet Our Editorial Board Member. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.2174/187152062104201224090951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
41
|
Howell LA, Beekman AM. In silico peptide-directed ligand design complements experimental peptide-directed binding for protein-protein interaction modulator discovery. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:215-219. [PMID: 34458784 PMCID: PMC8341744 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00148a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the protein-protein interaction of Mcl-1/Noxa, two methods for efficient modulator discovery are directly compared. In silico peptide-directed ligand design is evaluated against experimental peptide-directed binding, allowing for the discovery of two new inhibitors of Mcl-1/Noxa with cellular activity. In silico peptide-directed ligand design demonstrates an in vitro hit rate of 80% (IC50 < 100 μM). The two rapid and efficient methods demonstrate complementary features for protein-protein interaction modulator discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lesley Ann Howell
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London Mile End Road London E1 4NS UK
| | - Andrew Michael Beekman
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park Norwich Norfolk NR47TJ UK
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Fan Y, Hou X, Fang H. Recent Advances in the Development of Selective Mcl-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer (2017-Present). Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2020; 15:306-320. [DOI: 10.2174/1574892815666200916124641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) protein, as a critical pro-survival member
of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein family, plays an important role in apoptosis, carcinogenesis
and resistance to chemotherapies. Hence, potently and selectively inhibiting Mcl-1 to induce
apoptosis has become a widely accepted anticancer strategy.
Objective:
This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of patents and primary literature,
published from 2017 to present, on small molecule Mcl-1 inhibitors with various scaffolds.
By analyzing the modes of compound-protein interactions, the similarities and differences of those
structures are discussed, which could provide guidance for future drug design.
Methods:
The primary accesses for patent searching are SciFinder and Espacenet®. Besides the data
disclosed in patents, some results published in the follow-up research papers will be included in
this review.
Results:
The review covers dozens of patents on Mcl-1 inhibitors in the past three years, and the
scaffolds of compounds are mainly divided into indole scaffolds and non-indole scaffolds. The
compounds described here are compared with the relevant inhibitors disclosed in previous patents,
and representative compounds, especially those launched in clinical trials, are emphasized in this review.
Conclusion:
For most of the compounds in these patents, analyses of the binding affinity to Mcl-1
and studies in multiple cell lines were conducted, wherein some compounds were tested in preclinical
cancer models or were included in other biological studies. Some compounds showed promising
results and potential for further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Fan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xuben Hou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Bolomsky A, Vogler M, Köse MC, Heckman CA, Ehx G, Ludwig H, Caers J. MCL-1 inhibitors, fast-lane development of a new class of anti-cancer agents. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:173. [PMID: 33308268 PMCID: PMC7731749 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-01007-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell death escape is one of the most prominent features of tumor cells and closely linked to the dysregulation of members of the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Among those, the anti-apoptotic family member myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) acts as a master regulator of apoptosis in various human malignancies. Irrespective of its unfavorable structure profile, independent research efforts recently led to the generation of highly potent MCL-1 inhibitors that are currently evaluated in clinical trials. This offers new perspectives to target a so far undruggable cancer cell dependency. However, a detailed understanding about the tumor and tissue type specific implications of MCL-1 are a prerequisite for the optimal (i.e., precision medicine guided) use of this novel drug class. In this review, we summarize the major functions of MCL-1 with a special focus on cancer, provide insights into its different roles in solid vs. hematological tumors and give an update about the (pre)clinical development program of state-of-the-art MCL-1 targeting compounds. We aim to raise the awareness about the heterogeneous role of MCL-1 as drug target between, but also within tumor entities and to highlight the importance of rationale treatment decisions on a case by case basis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnold Bolomsky
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meike Vogler
- Department of Clinical Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, CHU De Liège, 35, Dom Univ Sart Tilman B, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Murat Cem Köse
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caroline A Heckman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland-FIMM, HiLIFE-Helsinki Institute of Life Science, iCAN Digital Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Grégory Ehx
- Institute for Experimental Cancer Research in Pediatrics, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Heinz Ludwig
- Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jo Caers
- Department of Clinical Hematology, GIGA-I3, University of Liège, CHU De Liège, 35, Dom Univ Sart Tilman B, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Widden H, Kaczmarczyk A, Subedi A, Whitaker RH, Placzek WJ. MCL1 binds and negatively regulates the transcriptional function of tumor suppressor p73. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:946. [PMID: 33144577 PMCID: PMC7641127 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
MCL1, an anti-apoptotic protein that controls chemosensitivity and cell fate through its regulation of intrinsic apoptosis, has been identified as a high-impact target in anti-cancer therapeutic development. With MCL1-specific inhibitors currently in clinical trials, it is imperative that we understand the roles that MCL1 plays in cells, especially when targeting the Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) pocket, the central region of MCL1 that mediates apoptotic regulation. Here, we establish that MCL1 has a direct role in controlling p73 transcriptional activity, which modulates target genes associated with DNA damage response, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression. This interaction is mediated through the reverse BH3 (rBH3) motif in the p73 tetramerization domain, which restricts p73 assembly on DNA. Here, we provide a novel mechanism for protein-level regulation of p73 transcriptional activity by MCL1, while also framing a foundation for studying MCL1 inhibitors in combination with platinum-based chemotherapeutics. More broadly, this work expands the role of Bcl-2 family signaling beyond cell fate regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Widden
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Aneta Kaczmarczyk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Ashok Subedi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Robert H Whitaker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - William J Placzek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Wan Y, Li Y, Yan C, Wen J, Tang Z. Discovery of novel indazole-acylsulfonamide hybrids as selective Mcl-1 inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104217. [PMID: 32911192 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Overexpressing myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) protein is an important way to confer the resistance of cancer cells to conventional anti-cancer treatments. Therefore, developing Mcl-1 inhibitors has become an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. In the studies, a series of new indazole-acylsulfonamide hybrids were designed, synthesized and evaluated as potent Mcl-1 inhibitors. Among them, the most potent compound 17 (Ki = 0.43 μM) showed a little better inhibitory activity against Mcl-1 protein than positive control AT-101 (Ki = 0.45 μM). Pleasingly, it displayed > 40-fold selectivity over Bcl-2 (Ki = 18 μM) and Bcl-xL (no activity). Furthermore, compound 17 had good inhibitory activities against PC-3, MDA-MB-231 and K562 cells (IC50 = 12.3, 10.6 and 6.62 μM, respectively) and could effectively induce apoptosis and the activation of caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner in K562 cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yichao Wan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China.
| | - Yuanhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Chunxing Yan
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Jiajun Wen
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| | - Zilong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Theoretical Organic Chemistry and Functional Molecule, Ministry of Education, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Controllable Preparation and Functional Application of Fine Polymers, Hunan Provincial Key Lab of Advanced Materials for New Energy Storage and Conversion, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, Hunan 411201, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Zhu PJ, Yu ZZ, You QD, Jiang ZY. Myeloid cell leukemin-1 inhibitors: a growing arsenal for cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1873-1882. [PMID: 32771436 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins, comprising proapoptotic proteins (Bax and Bak), antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and A1) and BCL-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins (Bid, Noxa, and Puma), have long been identified as pivotal apoptosis regulators. As an antiapoptotic member, myeloid cell leukemin-1 (Mcl-1) can bind with proapoptotic proteins and inhibit apoptosis. Mcl-1 is frequently overexpressed and closely associated with oncogenesis and poor prognosis in several cancers, posing a tremendous obstacle for cancer therapy. Recently, an increasing number of Mcl-1-selective small-molecule inhibitors have entered preclinical studies and advanced into clinical trials. In this review, we briefly introduce the role of Mcl-1 in apoptosis and highlight the recent development of Mcl-1 small-molecule inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Ju Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ze-Zhou Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qi-Dong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zheng-Yu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Hédou D, Voisin‐Chiret AS. Br vs. TsO Chemoselective Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Coupling Reaction on Nicotinaldehyde Moiety for the Preparation of 2,3,5‐Trisubstituted Pyridines. European J Org Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202000417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Hédou
- EA 4258, CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie) ‐ FR CNRS INC3M Normandie Université, UNICAEN Boulevard Becquerel 14032 Caen France
| | - Anne Sophie Voisin‐Chiret
- EA 4258, CERMN (Centre d'Etudes et de Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie) ‐ FR CNRS INC3M Normandie Université, UNICAEN Boulevard Becquerel 14032 Caen France
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Structure-based virtual screening, biological evaluation and biophysical study of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:1293-1304. [PMID: 32397829 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Targeting the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) associated with Mcl-1 has become a promising therapeutic approach for cancer. Herein, we reported the discovery of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors using an integrated computational approach. Results: Among 30 virtual screening hits, five compounds show inhibitory activities against Mcl-1. The most potent inhibitors M02 (K i = 5.4 μM) and M08 (Ki = 0.53 μM) exhibit good selectivity against Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Compound M08 exhibits anti-proliferation activity and induces caspase-3 activation in Jurkat cancer cells. Moreover, 1H⁄15N HSQC NMR experiments suggested that compound M08 likely binds in the P2 pocket of Mcl-1 and engages R263 in a salt bridge. Conclusion: Our study provides a good starting point for future discovery of more potent Mcl-1 selective inhibitors.
Collapse
|
49
|
Benabderrahmane M, Bureau R, Voisin-Chiret AS, Sopkova-de Oliveira Santos J. Insights into Mcl-1 Conformational States and Allosteric Inhibition Mechanism from Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Enhanced Sampling, and Pocket Crosstalk Analysis. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3172-3187. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Benabderrahmane
- Normandy Univ, UNICAEN, Centre d’Etude et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), 14000 Caen, France
| | - Ronan Bureau
- Normandy Univ, UNICAEN, Centre d’Etude et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), 14000 Caen, France
| | - Anne Sophie Voisin-Chiret
- Normandy Univ, UNICAEN, Centre d’Etude et Recherche sur le Médicament de Normandie (CERMN), 14000 Caen, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) is a new technology to selectively degrade target proteins via ubiquitin-proteasome system. PROTAC molecules (PROTACs) are a class of heterobifunctional molecules, which contain a ligand targeting the protein of interest, a ligand recruiting an E3 ligase and a linker connecting these two ligands. They provide several advantages over traditional inhibitors in potency, selectivity and drug resistance. Thus, many promising PROTACs have been developed in the recent two decades, especially small-molecule PROTACs. In this review, we briefly introduce the mechanism of PROTACs and focus on the progress of small-molecule PROTACs based on different E3 ligases. In addition, we also introduce the opportunities and challenges of small-molecule PROTACs for cancer therapy.
Collapse
|