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Hillebrand L, Liang XJ, Serafim RAM, Gehringer M. Emerging and Re-emerging Warheads for Targeted Covalent Inhibitors: An Update. J Med Chem 2024; 67:7668-7758. [PMID: 38711345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Covalent inhibitors and other types of covalent modalities have seen a revival in the past two decades, with a variety of new targeted covalent drugs having been approved in recent years. A key feature of such molecules is an intrinsically reactive group, typically a weak electrophile, which enables the irreversible or reversible formation of a covalent bond with a specific amino acid of the target protein. This reactive group, often called the "warhead", is a critical determinant of the ligand's activity, selectivity, and general biological properties. In 2019, we summarized emerging and re-emerging warhead chemistries to target cysteine and other amino acids (Gehringer, M.; Laufer, S. A. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 62, 5673-5724; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01153). Since then, the field has rapidly evolved. Here we discuss the progress on covalent warheads made since our last Perspective and their application in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Hillebrand
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Xiaojun Julia Liang
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ricardo A M Serafim
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gehringer
- Department of Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence iFIT (EXC 2180) "Image-Guided & Functionally Instructed Tumor Therapies", University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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2
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Yamane D, Tetsukawa R, Zenmyo N, Tabata K, Yoshida Y, Matsunaga N, Shindo N, Ojida A. Expanding the Chemistry of Dihaloacetamides as Tunable Electrophiles for Reversible Covalent Targeting of Cysteines. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37393576 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The choice of an appropriate electrophile is crucial in the design of targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs). In this report, we systematically investigated the glutathione (GSH) reactivity of various haloacetamides and the aqueous stability of their thiol adducts. Our findings revealed that dihaloacetamides cover a broad range of GSH reactivity depending on the combination of the halogen atoms and the structure of the amine scaffold. Among the dihaloacetamides, dichloroacetamide (DCA) exhibited slightly lower GSH reactivity than chlorofluoroacetamide (CFA). The DCA-thiol adduct is readily hydrolyzed under aqueous conditions, but it can stably exist in the solvent-sequestered binding pocket of the protein. These reactivity profiles of DCA were successfully exploited in the design of TCIs targeting noncatalytic cysteines of KRASG12C and EGFRL858R/T790M. These inhibitors exhibited strong antiproliferative activities against cancer cells. Our findings provide valuable insights for designing dihaloacetamide-based reversible covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Yamane
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Ryo Tetsukawa
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoki Zenmyo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kaori Tabata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Yuya Yoshida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoya Matsunaga
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoya Shindo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Akio Ojida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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3
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McAulay K, Bilsland A, Bon M. Reactivity of Covalent Fragments and Their Role in Fragment Based Drug Discovery. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:1366. [PMID: 36355538 PMCID: PMC9694498 DOI: 10.3390/ph15111366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fragment based drug discovery has long been used for the identification of new ligands and interest in targeted covalent inhibitors has continued to grow in recent years, with high profile drugs such as osimertinib and sotorasib gaining FDA approval. It is therefore unsurprising that covalent fragment-based approaches have become popular and have recently led to the identification of novel targets and binding sites, as well as ligands for targets previously thought to be 'undruggable'. Understanding the properties of such covalent fragments is important, and characterizing and/or predicting reactivity can be highly useful. This review aims to discuss the requirements for an electrophilic fragment library and the importance of differing warhead reactivity. Successful case studies from the world of drug discovery are then be examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten McAulay
- Cancer Research Horizons—Therapeutic Innovation, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, University of Dundee, Nethergate, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Alan Bilsland
- Cancer Research Horizons—Therapeutic Innovation, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
| | - Marta Bon
- Cancer Research Horizons—Therapeutic Innovation, Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Glasgow G61 1BD, UK
- Exscientia, The Schrödinger Building, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, UK
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4
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Hirose Y, Shindo N, Mori M, Onitsuka S, Isogai H, Hamada R, Hiramoto T, Ochi J, Takahashi D, Ueda T, Caaveiro JMM, Yoshida Y, Ohdo S, Matsunaga N, Toba S, Sasaki M, Orba Y, Sawa H, Sato A, Kawanishi E, Ojida A. Discovery of Chlorofluoroacetamide-Based Covalent Inhibitors for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 3CL Protease. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13852-13865. [PMID: 36229406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the development of antiviral agents against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). 3C-like protease (3CLpro) is a promising target for COVID-19 treatment. Here, we report a new class of covalent inhibitors of 3CLpro that possess chlorofluoroacetamide (CFA) as a cysteine-reactive warhead. Based on an aza-peptide scaffold, we synthesized a series of CFA derivatives in enantiopure form and evaluated their biochemical efficiency. The data revealed that 8a (YH-6) with the R configuration at the CFA unit strongly blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells, and its potency is comparable to that of nirmatrelvir. X-ray structural analysis showed that YH-6 formed a covalent bond with Cys145 at the catalytic center of 3CLpro. The strong antiviral activity and favorable pharmacokinetic properties of YH-6 suggest its potential as a lead compound for the treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Hirose
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoya Shindo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Makiko Mori
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Satsuki Onitsuka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Hikaru Isogai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Rui Hamada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Tadanari Hiramoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Jinta Ochi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Daisuke Takahashi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Tadashi Ueda
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Jose M M Caaveiro
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Yuya Yoshida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Shigehiro Ohdo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Naoya Matsunaga
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Toba
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0020, Japan.,Drug Discovery and Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi & Co. Ltd., 3-1-1 Futaba-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka561-0825, Japan
| | - Michihito Sasaki
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0020, Japan
| | - Yasuko Orba
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0020, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Sawa
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0020, Japan.,One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, North 18, West 9 Kita-ku, Sapporo060-0818, Japan.,Global Virus Network, 725 West Lombard St. Room S413, Baltimore, Maryland21201, United States
| | - Akihiko Sato
- International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, North 20, West 10 Kita-ku, Sapporo001-0020, Japan.,Drug Discovery and Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi & Co. Ltd., 3-1-1 Futaba-cho, Toyonaka, Osaka561-0825, Japan
| | - Eiji Kawanishi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
| | - Akio Ojida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka812-8582, Japan
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Yamane D, Onitsuka S, Re S, Isogai H, Hamada R, Hiramoto T, Kawanishi E, Mizuguchi K, Shindo N, Ojida A. Selective covalent targeting of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by enantiopure chlorofluoroacetamide. Chem Sci 2022; 13:3027-3034. [PMID: 35432850 PMCID: PMC8905997 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc06596c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated the development of antiviral agents against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The main protease (Mpro) is a promising target for COVID-19 treatment. Here, we report an irreversible SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor possessing chlorofluoroacetamide (CFA) as a warhead for the covalent modification of Mpro. Ugi multicomponent reaction using chlorofluoroacetic acid enabled the rapid synthesis of dipeptidic CFA derivatives that identified 18 as a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. Among the four stereoisomers, (R,R)-18 exhibited a markedly higher inhibitory activity against Mpro than the other isomers. Reaction kinetics and computational docking studies suggest that the R configuration of the CFA warhead is crucial for the rapid covalent inhibition of Mpro. Our findings highlight the prominent influence of the CFA chirality on the covalent modification of proteinous cysteines and provide the basis for improving the potency and selectivity of CFA-based covalent inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Yamane
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Satsuki Onitsuka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Suyong Re
- Artificial Intelligence Center for Health and Biomedical Research, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0085 Japan
| | - Hikaru Isogai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Rui Hamada
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Tadanari Hiramoto
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Eiji Kawanishi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Kenji Mizuguchi
- Artificial Intelligence Center for Health and Biomedical Research, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki Osaka 567-0085 Japan
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Naoya Shindo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
| | - Akio Ojida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka 812-8582 Japan
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6
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Zhu YX, Sheng YJ, Ma YQ, Ding HM. Assessing the Performance of Screening MM/PBSA in Protein-Ligand Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1700-1708. [PMID: 35188781 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c09424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Accurate calculation of the binding free energies between a protein and a ligand is the primary objective of structure-based drug design, but it still remains a challenging problem. In this work, we apply the screening molecular mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) method to calculate the binding affinity of protein-ligand interactions. Our results show that the performance of the screening MM/PBSA is better than that of the standard MM/PBSA, especially in a charged-ligand system. In addition, we also investigate the effect of the solute dielectric constant on the results, and find that the optimal solute dielectric constants are different between the neutral-ligand system and the charged-ligand system. Moreover, we also evaluate the effect of the atomic-charge methods on the performance of the screening MM/PBSA. The present study demonstrates that the screening MM/PBSA should be a reliable method for calculating binding energy of biosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xin Zhu
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yan-Jing Sheng
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ma
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Hong-Ming Ding
- Center for Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Interdisciplinary Research, School of Physical Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, China
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7
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Shindo N, Ojida A. Recent progress in covalent warheads for in vivo targeting of endogenous proteins. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 47:116386. [PMID: 34509863 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Covalent drugs exert potent and durable activity by chemical modification of the endogenous target protein in vivo. To maximize the pharmacological efficacy while alleviating the risk of toxicity due to nonspecific off-target reactions, current covalent drug discovery focuses on the development of targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs), wherein a reactive group (warhead) is strategically incorporated onto a reversible ligand of the target protein to facilitate specific covalent engagement. Various aspects of warheads, such as intrinsic reactivity, chemoselectivity, mode of reaction, and reversibility of the covalent engagement, would affect the target selectivity of TCIs. Although TCIs clinically approved to date largely rely on Michael acceptor-type electrophiles for cysteine targeting, a wide array of novel warheads have been devised and tested in TCI development in recent years. In this short review, we provide an overview of recent progress in chemistry for selective covalent targeting of proteins and their applications in TCI designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Shindo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Akio Ojida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Maidashi, Higashi-ku Fukuoka, Japan.
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