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Gu Y, Tang T, Qiu M, Wang H, Ampofo E, Menger MD, Laschke MW. Clioquinol inhibits angiogenesis by promoting VEGFR2 degradation and synergizes with AKT inhibition to suppress triple-negative breast cancer vascularization. Angiogenesis 2025; 28:13. [PMID: 39899169 PMCID: PMC11790708 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-024-09965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 12/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
Inhibition of angiogenesis, either as monotherapy or in conjunction with other treatments, holds significant promise in cancer treatment. However, the limited efficacy of clinically approved anti-angiogenic agents underscores the urgent need for the development of novel drugs and therapeutic strategies. In this study, we demonstrate the highly selective inhibitory effects of clioquinol, a topical antifungal and antibiotic agent, on the angiogenic activity of endothelial cells (ECs) in a series of in vitro angiogenesis assays. Moreover, clioquinol effectively suppressed blood vessel formation in ex vivo aortic ring and in vivo Matrigel plug assays. Mechanistic studies revealed that clioquinol directly binds to the ATP-binding site of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), promoting its degradation through both proteasome and lysosome pathways. This led to the down-regulation of the downstream extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. In addition, the combination with the AKT inhibitor MK-2206 synergistically boosted the anti-angiogenic efficacy of clioquinol in vitro and in an in vivo dorsal skinfold chamber model of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), leading to the suppression of TNBC growth. Accordingly, clioquinol, either alone or in combination with AKT inhibitors, represents a promising therapeutic agent for future anti-angiogenic cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gu
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany.
| | - Tianci Tang
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
| | - Moqin Qiu
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
- Department of Respiratory Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, 712046, China
| | - Emmanuel Ampofo
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
| | - Michael D Menger
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
| | - Matthias W Laschke
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg, Saarland, Germany
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2
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Chaudhari PJ, Nemade AR, Shirkhedkar AA. Recent updates on potential of VEGFR-2 small-molecule inhibitors as anticancer agents. RSC Adv 2024; 14:33384-33417. [PMID: 39439843 PMCID: PMC11495155 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra05244g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 10/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) system is the key component for controlling angiogenesis in cancer cells. Blocking vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) signalling is one of the most promising approaches to hindering angiogenesis and the subsequent growth of cancer cells. The USFDA-approved small-molecule drugs targeting VEGFR-2 are developing drug resistance over the course of chemotherapy, and cardiac-related side effects are consistently being reported; hence, there is an urgent need for more safe and effective anticancer molecules. The present review focuses on the structure and physiology of VEGFR-2 and its involvement in the progression of cancer cells. The recent updates from the last five years through papers and patents on structure-activity relationships, pharmacophoric attributes, molecular docking interactions, antiangiogenic assays, cancer cell line studies, and the potencies (IC50) of VEGFR-2 inhibitors are discussed herein. The common structural framework requirements, such as the Asp-Phe-Gly (DFG) motif of VEGFR-2 interacting with the HBD-HBA region in the ligand molecules, the central aryl ring occupying the linker region, and a variety of bio-isosteres, can enhance activity against VEGFR-2. At one end, the heteroaryl moiety is essential for interaction within the ATP-binding site of VEGFR-2, while the terminal hydrophobic tail occupies the allosteric binding site. Three to five bond spacers between the heteroaryl and HBD-HBA regions provided a better result towards VEGFR-2 inhibition, mirroring the behaviors of standard drugs. The in-depth analysis of recent updates on VEGFR-2 inhibitors presented in this paper will help prospective synthetic and medicinal chemists to discover new lead molecules for the treatment of various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Jagannath Chaudhari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Shirpur, Dist-Dhule Maharashtra 425 405 India
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University 4400 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15213 USA
| | - Aditya Ramchandra Nemade
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Shirpur, Dist-Dhule Maharashtra 425 405 India
- Department of Pharmaceutics, M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences Bengaluru Karnataka 560054 India
| | - Atul Arun Shirkhedkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Shirpur, Dist-Dhule Maharashtra 425 405 India
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3
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Hu Z, Zhang Q, Li Z, Yang H, Chen X, Zhang Q, Yang T, He X, Feng Q, He J, Yu L. Design, synthesis and antitumor activity of a novel FGFR2-selective degrader to overcome resistance of the FGFR2 V564F gatekeeper mutation based on a pan-FGFR inhibitor. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 275:116612. [PMID: 38908103 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) contributes to the development and progression of multiple types of cancer. Although many FGFR inhibitors have been approved by the FDA, their long-term therapeutic efficacy is hampered by acquired resistance to gatekeeper mutations and low subtype selectivity. FGFR2 has been found to be frequently amplified or mutated in many tumors. In this study, we designed several PROTACs with different E3 ligands based on LY2874455. By screening the length of the linker and the binding site in various degraders, we obtained a novel and highly efficient FGFR2-selective degrader 28e (DC50 = 0.645 nM, DCmax = 86 %). Compound 28e selectively degraded FGFR2 and essentially avoided degradation of FGFR1,3,4 isoforms (DC50 > 300 nM). Compound 28e significantly inhibited the proliferation of FGFR2-overexpressing cell lines, including KATOIII, SNU16, and AN3CA (IC50 = 0.794 nM/0.207 nM/4.626 nM), comparable to parental inhibitors. At the same time, the preferred compound showed superiority over the parental inhibitor in kinase inhibitory activity against the gatekeeper mutant isoform FGFR2V564F (IC50 = 0.121 nM). In summary, we identified 28e as a novel selective degrader of FGFR2 with high potency and high potential to overcome resistance to gatekeeper mutation. The discovery of 28e provides new evidence for the strategy of pan-inhibitor-based development of selective degrading agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuli Hu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiangsheng Zhang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Zulong Li
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hongling Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Chen
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest JiaoTong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611756, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Tianqiong Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaojie He
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiang Feng
- College of Chemistry and Life Science, Chengdu Normal University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jun He
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Luoting Yu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 17#3rd Section, Ren Min South Road, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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4
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Zhang Z, Xu M, Shi R, He X, Wang Y, Shao Y, Huang C, Zhang F, Zhang P, Liu J. Natural Compound-Rhein and PROTACs Unleash Potent VEGFR-2 Degraders. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202400753. [PMID: 38818648 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202400753] [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: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
VEGFR-2 is a prominent therapeutic target in antitumor drug research to block tumor angiogenesis. This study focused on the synthesis and optimization of PROTACs based on the natural product rhein, resulting in the successful synthesis of 15 distinct molecules. In A549 cells, D9 exhibited remarkable antitumor efficacy with an IC50 of 5.88±0.50 μM, which was 15-fold higher compared to rhein (IC50=88.45±2.77 μM). An in-depth study of the effect of D9 on the degradation of VEGFR-2 revealed that D9 was able to induce the degradation of VEGFR-2 in A549 cells in a time-dependent manner. The observed effect was reversible, contingent upon the proteasome and ubiquitination system, and demonstrably linked to CRBN. Further experiments revealed that D9 induced apoptosis in A549 cells and led to cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Molecular docking simulations validated the binding mode of D9 to VEGFR, establishing the potential of D9 to bind to VEGFR-2 in its natural state. In summary, this study confirms the feasibility of natural product-bound PROTAC technology for the development of a new generation of VEGFR-2 degraders, offering a novel trajectory for the future development of pharmacological agents targeting VEGFR-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Zhang
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Meng Xu
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Ruling Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Quanzhou Medical College, 362021, Quanzhou, China
| | - Xinyi He
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yan Wang
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Yongying Shao
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Caixia Huang
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Fengyang Zhang
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Peixi Zhang
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
| | - Jieqing Liu
- Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Medicine of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Fujian Molecular Medicine, Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine and Molecular Diagnosis of Fujian Universities, Key Laboratory of Xiamen Marine and Gene Drugs, School of Medicine, Huaqiao University, 3622021, Quanzhou, P. R. China
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5
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Thakur A, Rana M, Mishra A, Kaur C, Pan CH, Nepali K. Recent advances and future directions on small molecule VEGFR inhibitors in oncological conditions. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 272:116472. [PMID: 38728867 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
"A journey of mixed emotions" is a quote that best describes the progress chart of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitors as cancer therapeutics in the last decade. Exhilarated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals of numerous VEGFR inhibitors coupled with the annoyance of encountering the complications associated with their use, drug discovery enthusiasts are on their toes with an unswerving determination to enhance the rate of translation of VEGFR inhibitors from preclinical to clinical stage. The recently crafted armory of VEGFR inhibitors is a testament to their growing dominance over other antiangiogenic therapies for cancer treatment. This review perspicuously underscores the earnest attempts of the researchers to extract the antiproliferative potential of VEGFR inhibitors through the design of mechanistically diverse structural assemblages. Moreover, this review encompasses sections on structural/molecular properties and physiological functions of VEGFR, FDA-approved VEGFR inhibitors, and hurdles restricting the activity range/clinical applicability of VEGFR targeting antitumor agents. In addition, tactics to overcome the limitations of VEGFR inhibitors are discussed. A clear-cut viewpoint transmitted through this compilation can provide practical directions to push the cart of VEGFR inhibitors to advanced-stage clinical investigations in diverse malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandeep Thakur
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110031, Taiwan
| | - Mandeep Rana
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110031, Taiwan
| | - Anshul Mishra
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110031, Taiwan
| | - Charanjit Kaur
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Chun-Hsu Pan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
| | - Kunal Nepali
- School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110031, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
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6
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Berlin M, Cantley J, Bookbinder M, Bortolon E, Broccatelli F, Cadelina G, Chan EW, Chen H, Chen X, Cheng Y, Cheung TK, Davenport K, DiNicola D, Gordon D, Hamman BD, Harbin A, Haskell R, He M, Hole AJ, Januario T, Kerry PS, Koenig SG, Li L, Merchant M, Pérez-Dorado I, Pizzano J, Quinn C, Rose CM, Rousseau E, Soto L, Staben LR, Sun H, Tian Q, Wang J, Wang W, Ye CS, Ye X, Zhang P, Zhou Y, Yauch R, Dragovich PS. PROTACs Targeting BRM (SMARCA2) Afford Selective In Vivo Degradation over BRG1 (SMARCA4) and Are Active in BRG1 Mutant Xenograft Tumor Models. J Med Chem 2024; 67:1262-1313. [PMID: 38180485 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01781] [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: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
The identification of VHL-binding proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that potently degrade the BRM protein (also known as SMARCA2) in SW1573 cell-based experiments is described. These molecules exhibit between 10- and 100-fold degradation selectivity for BRM over the closely related paralog protein BRG1 (SMARCA4). They also selectively impair the proliferation of the H1944 "BRG1-mutant" NSCLC cell line, which lacks functional BRG1 protein and is thus highly dependent on BRM for growth, relative to the wild-type Calu6 line. In vivo experiments performed with a subset of compounds identified PROTACs that potently and selectively degraded BRM in the Calu6 and/or the HCC2302 BRG1 mutant NSCLC xenograft models and also afforded antitumor efficacy in the latter system. Subsequent PK/PD analysis established a need to achieve strong BRM degradation (>95%) in order to trigger meaningful antitumor activity in vivo. Intratumor quantitation of mRNA associated with two genes whose transcription was controlled by BRM (PLAU and KRT80) also supported this conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Berlin
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Jennifer Cantley
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Mark Bookbinder
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Elizabeth Bortolon
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Fabio Broccatelli
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Greg Cadelina
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Emily W Chan
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Huifen Chen
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xin Chen
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Yunxing Cheng
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Tommy K Cheung
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Kim Davenport
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Dean DiNicola
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Debbie Gordon
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Brian D Hamman
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Alicia Harbin
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Roy Haskell
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Mingtao He
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Alison J Hole
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 95 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RY, U.K
| | - Thomas Januario
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Philip S Kerry
- Evotec (U.K.) Ltd., 95 Park Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RY, U.K
| | - Stefan G Koenig
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Limei Li
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Mark Merchant
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | | | - Jennifer Pizzano
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Connor Quinn
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Christopher M Rose
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Emma Rousseau
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Leofal Soto
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Leanna R Staben
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Hongming Sun
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Qingping Tian
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Arvinas LLC, 5 Science Park, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Weifeng Wang
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Crystal S Ye
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaofen Ye
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Penghong Zhang
- Pharmaron Beijing, Co. Ltd., 6 Tai He Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Yuhui Zhou
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Robert Yauch
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Peter S Dragovich
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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7
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Yokoo H, Osawa H, Saito K, Demizu Y. Correlation between Membrane Permeability and the Intracellular Degradation Activity of Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2024; 72:961-965. [PMID: 39537180 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c24-00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2024]
Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have attracted attention as an innovative drug modality that induces the selective degradation of target proteins. This technology shows higher activity than conventional inhibitors and holds great potential in the field of drug discovery. Optimization of the linker is essential for PROTACs to achieve sufficient activity, particularly with regard to cell membrane permeability. However, the correlation between membrane permeability and the activity of PROTACs has not been fully explored. To address this, we established a new molecular design approach to remove the linker and optimize PROTAC structure. These PROTAC compound groups were used to analyze the correlation between membrane permeability and activity using LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results revealed that the degradation activity of PROTACs fluctuates with increasing membrane permeability and changes in response to linker optimization, while sufficient proteolytic activity can be retained. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering the balance between membrane permeability and activity in PROTAC design and provide a new strategy for developing more effective PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hinata Osawa
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Science of Okayama University
| | | | - Yosuke Demizu
- National Institute of Health Sciences
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Science of Okayama University
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University
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8
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Moradi M, Mousavi A, Emamgholipour Z, Giovannini J, Moghimi S, Peytam F, Honarmand A, Bach S, Foroumadi A. Quinazoline-based VEGFR-2 inhibitors as potential anti-angiogenic agents: A contemporary perspective of SAR and molecular docking studies. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 259:115626. [PMID: 37453330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from the existing vasculature, is pivotal in the migration, growth, and differentiation of endothelial cells in normal physiological conditions. In various types of tumour microenvironments, dysregulated angiogenesis plays a crucial role in supplying oxygen and nutrients to cancerous cells, leading to tumour size growth. VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase has been extensively studied as a critical regulator of angiogenesis; thus, inhibition of VEGFR-2 has been widely used for cancer treatments in recent years. Quinazoline nucleus is a privileged and versatile scaffold with a broad range of pharmacological activity, especially in the field of tyrosine kinase inhibitors with more than twenty small molecule inhibitors approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in the last two decades. As of now, the U.S. FDA has approved eleven small chemical inhibitors of VEGFR-2 for various types of malignancies, with a prime example being vandetanib, a quinazoline derivative, which is a multi targeted kinase inhibitor used for the treatment of late-stage medullary thyroid cancer. Despite of prosperous discovery and development of VEGFR-2 down regulator drugs, there still exists limitations in clinical efficacy, adverse effects, a high rate of clinical discontinuation and drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the design and synthesis of more selective and effective inhibitors to tackle these challenges. Through the gathering of this review, we have strived to broaden the extent of our view over the entire scope of quinazoline-based VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Herein, we give an overview of the importance and advancement status of reported structures, highlighting the SAR, biological evaluations and their binding modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahfam Moradi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Mousavi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Emamgholipour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Johanna Giovannini
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models Laboratory (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680, Roscoff, France
| | - Setareh Moghimi
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Peytam
- Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amin Honarmand
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Stéphane Bach
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models Laboratory (LBI2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680, Roscoff, France; Sorbonne Université, CNRS, FR2424, Plateforme de criblage KISSf (Kinase Inhibitor Specialized Screening Facility), Station Biologique de Roscoff, 29680, Roscoff, France; Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa.
| | - Alireza Foroumadi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Drug Design and Development Research Center, The Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (TIPS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Osmaniye D, Bozkurt NB, Kurban B, Yardımcı GB, Ozkay Y, Kaplancıklı ZA. Synthesis of Imidazole-2,3-dihydrothiazole Compounds as VEGFR-2 Inhibitors and Their Support with in Silico Studies. Chem Biodivers 2023; 20:e202300944. [PMID: 37503680 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202300944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In this study, 12 novel 2-((1-(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)ethylidene)hydrazineylidene)-3-ethyl-4-(substitutephenyl)-2,3-dihydrothiazole derivatives were obtained. Among these compounds, 2-((1-(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)ethylidene)hydrazineylidene)-4-([1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)-3-ethyl-2,3-dihydrothiazole (4h) was chosen as the most active derivative in the series. According to the MTT results, compounds 4h and 4k showed activity with IC50 =4.566±0.246 μM and IC50 =4.537±0.463 μM, respectively. Unlike other derivatives, compound 4h carries a phenyl ring in the 4th position of the phenyl ring. This bulky group allowed the compound to settle in the enzyme active site. Dynamic studies show that the stability of the compound does not change over 40 ns. RMSD, RMSF and Rg parameters all remained within acceptable limits. The uninterrupted aromatic hydrogen bonding of the enzyme active site with the important amino acids Cys919, Glu885 and Asp1046 proves the inhibitory potential of compound 4h on the VEGFR-2 enzyme. It is thought that more active compounds will be reached with the derivatives to be synthesized starting from compound 4h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Osmaniye
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskişehir, Turkey
- Central Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Nurnehir Baltacı Bozkurt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, 03030, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Berkant Kurban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, 03030, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Gamze Benli Yardımcı
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, 03030, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Ozkay
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskişehir, Turkey
- Central Analysis Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Zafer Asım Kaplancıklı
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskişehir, Turkey
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Han X, Sun Y. PROTACs: A novel strategy for cancer drug discovery and development. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e290. [PMID: 37261210 PMCID: PMC10227178 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has become a powerful strategy in drug discovery, especially for undruggable targets/proteins. A typical PROTAC degrader consists of three components: a small molecule that binds to a target protein, an E3 ligase ligand (consisting of an E3 ligase and its small molecule recruiter), and a chemical linker that hooks first two components together. In the past 20 years, we have witnessed advancement of multiple PROTAC degraders into the clinical trials for anticancer therapies. However, one of the major challenges of PROTAC technology is that only very limited number of E3 ligase recruiters are currently available as E3 ligand for targeted protein degradation (TPD), although human genome encodes more than 600 E3 ligases. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify additional effective E3 ligase recruiters for TPD applications. In this review, we summarized the existing RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase and their small molecule recruiters that act as effective E3 ligands of PROTAC degraders and their application in anticancer drug discovery. We believe that this review could serve as a reference in future development of efficient E3 ligands of PROTAC technology for cancer drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Han
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionChina National Ministry of Education) of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational MedicineZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for CANCERZhejiang ProvinceChina
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical SciencesZhejiang ProvinceChina
| | - Yi Sun
- Cancer Institute (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and InterventionChina National Ministry of Education) of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Institute of Translational MedicineZhejiang University School of MedicineHangzhouChina
- Cancer Center of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for CANCERZhejiang ProvinceChina
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Medical SciencesZhejiang ProvinceChina
- Research Center for Life Science and Human HealthBinjiang Institute of Zhejiang UniversityHangzhouChina
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Wang S, Shi JT, Wang XR, Mu HX, Wang XT, Xu KY, Wang QS, Chen SW. 1H-Indazoles derivatives targeting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway: Synthesis, anti-tumor effect and molecular mechanism. Bioorg Chem 2023; 133:106412. [PMID: 36773456 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is one of the most common abnormal activation pathways in tumor cells, and has associated with multiple functions such as tumor cell growth, proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor angiogenesis. Here, a series of 3-amino-1H-indazole derivatives were synthesized, and their antiproliferative activities against HT-29, MCF-7, A-549, HepG2 and HGC-27 cells were evaluated. Among them, W24 exhibited the broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity against four cancer cells with IC50 values of 0.43-3.88 μM. Mechanism studies revealed that W24 inhibited proliferation by affecting the DNA synthesis, induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by regulating Cyclin B1, BAD and Bcl-xL, meanwhile induced the change of intracellular ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential in HGC-27 cells. Moreover, W24 inhibited the migration and invasion of HGC-27 cells by decreasing EMT pathway related proteins and reducing the mRNA expression levels of Snail, Slug and HIF-1α. Furthermore, W24 displayed low tissue toxicity profile and good pharmacokinetic properties in vivo. Therefore, 3-amino-1H-indazole derivatives might serve as a new scaffold for the development of PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitor and anti-gastric cancer reagent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jian-Tao Shi
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xing-Rong Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hong-Xia Mu
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xue-Ting Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kai-Yan Xu
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qing-Shan Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shi-Wu Chen
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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