1
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Shi JT, Hou SJ, Cheng L, Zhang HJ, Mu HX, Wang QS, Wang ZY, Chen SW. Discovery of novel coumarin-based KRAS-G12C inhibitors from virtual screening and Rational structural optimization. Bioorg Chem 2024; 148:107467. [PMID: 38772290 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107467] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
KRAS-G12C inhibitors has been made significant progress in the treatment of KRAS-G12C mutant cancers, but their clinical application is limited due to the adaptive resistance, motivating development of novel structural inhibitors. Herein, series of coumarin derivatives as KRAS-G12C inhibitors were found through virtual screening and rational structural optimization. Especially, K45 exhibited strong antiproliferative potency on NCI-H23 and NCI-H358 cancer cells harboring KRAS-G12C with the IC50 values of 0.77 μM and 1.50 μM, which was 15 and 11 times as potent as positive drug ARS1620, respectively. Furthermore, K45 reduced the phosphorylation of KRAS downstream effectors ERK and AKT by reducing the active form of KRAS (KRAS GTP) in NCI-H23 cells. In addition, K45 induced cell apoptosis by increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic protein BAD and BAX in NCI-H23 cells. Docking studies displayed that the 3-naphthylmethoxy moiety of K45 extended into the cryptic pocket formed by the residues Gln99 and Val9, which enhanced the interaction with the KRAS-G12C protein. These results indicated that K45 was a potent KRAS-G12C inhibitor worthy of further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Tao Shi
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Su-Juan Hou
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lei Cheng
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Hao-Jie Zhang
- 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
| | - Qing-Shan Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Collaborative Innovation Center for Northwestern Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Zhao-Yang 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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2
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Chen Y, Liu QP, Xie H, Ding J. From bench to bedside: current development and emerging trend of KRAS-targeted therapy. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024; 45:686-703. [PMID: 38049578 PMCID: PMC10943119 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-023-01194-4] [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: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma 2 viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) is the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancers with mutations predominantly occurring in codon 12. These mutations disrupt the normal function of KRAS by interfering with GTP hydrolysis and nucleotide exchange activity, making it prone to the GTP-bound active state, thus leading to sustained activation of downstream pathways. Despite decades of research, there has been no progress in the KRAS drug discovery until the groundbreaking discovery of covalently targeting the KRASG12C mutation in 2013, which led to revolutionary changes in KRAS-targeted therapy. So far, two small molecule inhibitors sotorasib and adagrasib targeting KRASG12C have received accelerated approval for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring KRASG12C mutations. In recent years, rapid progress has been achieved in the KRAS-targeted therapy field, especially the exploration of KRASG12C covalent inhibitors in other KRASG12C-positive malignancies, novel KRAS inhibitors beyond KRASG12C mutation or pan-KRAS inhibitors, and approaches to indirectly targeting KRAS. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular and mutational characteristics of KRAS and summarize the development and current status of covalent inhibitors targeting the KRASG12C mutation. We also discuss emerging promising KRAS-targeted therapeutic strategies, with a focus on mutation-specific and direct pan-KRAS inhibitors and indirect KRAS inhibitors through targeting the RAS activation-associated proteins Src homology-2 domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) and son of sevenless homolog 1 (SOS1), and shed light on current challenges and opportunities for drug discovery in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Chen
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiu-Pei Liu
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Department of Chemical and Environment Engineering, Science and Engineering Building, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo, 315100, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
| | - Jian Ding
- Division of Antitumor Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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3
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Shang Y, Fu S, Hao Q, Ying H, Wang J, Shen T. Multiple medicinal chemistry strategies of targeting KRAS: State-of-the art and future directions. Bioorg Chem 2024; 144:107092. [PMID: 38271825 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.107092] [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: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene and drives the development and progression of malignancies, most notably non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLS), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). However, KRAS proteins have maintained the reputation of being "undruggable" due to the lack of suitable deep pockets on its surface. One major milestone for KRAS inhibition was the discovery of the covalent inhibitors bond to the allosteric switch-II pocket of the KRASG12C protein. To date, the FDA has approved two KRASG12C inhibitors, sotorasib and adagrasib, for the treatment of patients with KRASG12C-driven cancers. Researchers have paid close attention to the development of inhibitors for other KRAS mutations and upstream regulatory factors. The KRAS targeted drug discovery has entered a state of rapid development. This article has aimed to present the current state of the art of drug development in the KRAS field. We systematically summarize recent advances in the discovery and optimization processes of direct KRAS inhibitors (including KRASG12C, KRASG12D, KRASG12A and KRASG12R inhibitors), indirect KRAS inhibitors (SOS1 and SHP2 inhibitors), pan-KRAS inhibitors, as well as proteolysis-targetingchimeras degrades and molecular chaperone modulators from the perspective of medicinal chemistry. We also discuss the current challenges and opportunities of KRAS inhibition and hope to shed light on future KRAS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanguo Shang
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shengnan Fu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qingjing Hao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanjie Ying
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinxin Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Tao Shen
- College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China.
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4
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Whitley MJ, Tran TH, Rigby M, Yi M, Dharmaiah S, Waybright TJ, Ramakrishnan N, Perkins S, Taylor T, Messing S, Esposito D, Nissley DV, McCormick F, Stephen AG, Turbyville T, Cornilescu G, Simanshu DK. Comparative analysis of KRAS4a and KRAS4b splice variants reveals distinctive structural and functional properties. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj4137. [PMID: 38354232 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj4137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
KRAS, the most frequently mutated oncogene in human cancer, produces two isoforms, KRAS4a and KRAS4b, through alternative splicing. These isoforms differ in exon 4, which encodes the final 15 residues of the G-domain and hypervariable regions (HVRs), vital for trafficking and membrane localization. While KRAS4b has been extensively studied, KRAS4a has been largely overlooked. Our multidisciplinary study compared the structural and functional characteristics of KRAS4a and KRAS4b, revealing distinct structural properties and thermal stability. Position 151 influences KRAS4a's thermal stability, while position 153 affects binding to RAF1 CRD protein. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis identified localized structural differences near sequence variations and provided a solution-state conformational ensemble. Notably, KRAS4a exhibits substantial transcript abundance in bile ducts, liver, and stomach, with transcript levels approaching KRAS4b in the colon and rectum. Functional disparities were observed in full-length KRAS variants, highlighting the impact of HVR variations on interaction with trafficking proteins and downstream effectors like RAF and PI3K within cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Whitley
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Timothy H Tran
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Megan Rigby
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Ming Yi
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Srisathiyanarayanan Dharmaiah
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Timothy J Waybright
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Nitya Ramakrishnan
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Shelley Perkins
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Troy Taylor
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Simon Messing
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Dominic Esposito
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Dwight V Nissley
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Frank McCormick
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
- Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, 1450 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrew G Stephen
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Turbyville
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Gabriel Cornilescu
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Dhirendra K Simanshu
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
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5
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Bao Y, Jia F, Li M, Xu R, Xie Y, Zhang F, Guo J. Characterizing the Molecular Mechanism of the Lethal C423D Mutation in FgMyoI: A Molecular Perspective. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:1539-1549. [PMID: 38226494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c08648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
The lethal mutation C423D in Fusarium graminearum myosin I (FgMyoI) occurs close to the binding pocket of the allosteric inhibitor phenamacril and causes severe inhibition on mycelial growth of F. graminearum strain PH-1. Here, based on extensive Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and wet experiments, we elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism of the abnormal functioning of the FgMyoIC423D mutant at the atomistic level. Our results suggest that the damaging mutation C423D exhibits a synergistic allosteric inhibition mechanism similar to but more robust than that of phenamacril, including effects on the active site and actin binding. Unlike phenamacril-induced closure of Switch2, the mutation results in unfolding of the N-terminal relay helix with a partially opened Switch2 and blocks the structural rearrangement of the relay/SH1 helices, impairing the proper initiation of the recovery stroke. Due to the significant influence of C423D mutation on the function of FgMyoI, designing covalent inhibitors targeting this site holds tremendous potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiong Bao
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Fangying Jia
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Mengrong Li
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ran Xu
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao 999078, China
| | - Yanjie Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jingjing Guo
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence Driven Drug Discovery, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao 999078, China
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6
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Nilewski C, Labadie S, Wei B, Malhotra S, Do S, Gazzard L, Liu L, Shao C, Murray J, Izrayelit Y, Gustafson A, Endres NF, Ma F, Ye X, Zou J, Evangelista M. Structure-Based Design and Evaluation of Reversible KRAS G13D Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:21-28. [PMID: 38229748 PMCID: PMC10788945 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Oncogenic KRAS mutations were identified decades ago, yet the selective inhibition of specific KRAS mutant proteins represents an ongoing challenge. Recent progress has been made in targeting certain P-loop mutant proteins, in particular KRAS G12C, for which the covalent inhibition of the GDP state via the Switch II pocket is now a clinically validated strategy. Inhibition of other KRAS mutant proteins such as KRAS G13D, on the other hand, still requires clinical validation. The remoteness of the D13 residue relative to the Switch II pocket in combination with the solvent exposure and conformational flexibility of the D13 side chain, as well as the difficulties of targeting carboxylate residues covalently, renders this specific protein particularly challenging to target selectively. In this report, we describe the design and evaluation of potent and KRAS G13D-selective reversible inhibitors. Subnanomolar binding to the GDP state Switch II pocket and biochemical selectivity over WT KRAS are achieved by leveraging a salt bridge with D13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Nilewski
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sharada Labadie
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Binqing Wei
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sushant Malhotra
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Steven Do
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Lewis Gazzard
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Li Liu
- Pharmaron-Beijing
Co. Ltd., 6 Taihe Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Shao
- Pharmaron-Beijing
Co. Ltd., 6 Taihe Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, P. R. China
| | - Jeremy Murray
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Yevgeniy Izrayelit
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Amy Gustafson
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas F. Endres
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Fang Ma
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xin Ye
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Jun Zou
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Marie Evangelista
- Genentech
Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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7
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Gong Z, Zhao Y, Xu B, Yang Z, Ren B, Yang H, Zeng C, Chen R, Xu YJ, Li Q. Identification of novel 3-aryl-1-aminoisoquinolines-based KRAS G12C inhibitors: Rational drug design and expedient construction by CH functionalization/annulation. Bioorg Chem 2024; 142:106954. [PMID: 37948926 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106954] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Developing a synthetic methodology to expediently construct a specific drug scaffold with the desired biological activity remains challenging. Herein, we describe a work on rational application of a synthetic methodology in the synthesis of KRASG12C inhibitors. Novel KRASG12C inhibitors were initially designed with 1-amino-3-aryl isoquinoline scaffold using structure-based drug design strategy. A ruthenium-catalyzed direct monoCH functionalization/annulation cascade reaction of amidines and sulfoxonium ylides was then developed with high versatility of substrates and good tolerance for polar functional groups. By using this reaction, the target compounds 1-amino-3-aryl isoquinolines were facilely prepared. Further in vitro tests led to identification of two novel lead compounds with KRASG12C inhibitory activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirong Gong
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Buyi Xu
- National Anti-drug Laboratory Sichuan Regional Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610206, China
| | - Zhou Yang
- National Anti-drug Laboratory Sichuan Regional Center, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610206, China
| | - Boquan Ren
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Han Yang
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Chengfu Zeng
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Renqiang Chen
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - Yan-Jun Xu
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China.
| | - Qing Li
- College of Chemistry and Material Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China.
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8
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Lu X, Lan X, Lu S, Zhang J. Progressive computational approaches to facilitate decryption of allosteric mechanism and drug discovery. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 83:102701. [PMID: 37716092 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102701] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
Allostery is a ubiquitous biological phenomenon where perturbation at topologically distal areas of a protein serves as a trigger to fine-tune the orthosteric site and thus regulate protein function. The investigation of allosteric regulation greatly enhances our understanding of human diseases and broadens avenue for drug discovery. For decades, owing to the difficulty in allostery characterization through serendipitous experimental screening, researchers have developed several innovative computational approaches, which proves to accelerate the elucidation of allostery. Herein, we review the state-of-the-art advance of computational methodologies for allostery study, with particular emphasis on promising trends emerging over the past two years. We expect this review will outline the latest landscape of allostery study and inspire researchers to further facilitate this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Xiaobing Lan
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750004, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Medicinal Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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9
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Chambers AG, Chain DC, Sweet SM, Song Z, Martin PL, Ellis MJ, Rooney C, Kim YJ. Mass spectrometry quantifies target engagement for a KRASG12C inhibitor in FFPE tumor tissue. Clin Proteomics 2023; 20:47. [PMID: 37880622 PMCID: PMC10599008 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-023-09435-8] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantification of drug-target binding is critical for confirming that drugs reach their intended protein targets, understanding the mechanism of action, and interpreting dose-response relationships. For covalent inhibitors, target engagement can be inferred by free target levels before and after treatment. Targeted mass spectrometry assays offer precise protein quantification in complex biological samples and have been routinely applied in pre-clinical studies to quantify target engagement in frozen tumor tissues for oncology drug development. However, frozen tissues are often not available from clinical trials so it is critical that assays are applicable to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues in order to extend mass spectrometry-based target engagement studies into clinical settings. METHODS Wild-type RAS and RASG12C was quantified in FFPE tissues by a highly optimized targeted mass spectrometry assay that couples high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) with internal standards. In a subset of samples, technical reproducibility was evaluated by analyzing consecutive tissue sections from the same tumor block and biological variation was accessed among adjacent tumor regions in the same tissue section. RESULTS Wild-type RAS protein was measured in 32 clinical non-small cell lung cancer tumors (622-2525 amol/µg) as measured by FAIMS-PRM mass spectrometry. Tumors with a known KRASG12C mutation (n = 17) expressed a wide range of RASG12C mutant protein (127-2012 amol/µg). The variation in wild-type RAS and RASG12C measurements ranged 0-18% CV across consecutive tissue sections and 5-20% CV among adjacent tissue regions. Quantitative target engagement was then demonstrated in FFPE tissues from 2 xenograft models (MIA PaCa-2 and NCI-H2122) treated with a RASG12C inhibitor (AZD4625). CONCLUSIONS This work illustrates the potential to expand mass spectrometry-based proteomics in preclinical and clinical oncology drug development through analysis of FFPE tumor biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Chambers
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - David C Chain
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Steve M Sweet
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Zifeng Song
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Philip L Martin
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Matthew J Ellis
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | | | - Yeoun Jin Kim
- Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA.
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10
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Liu L, Song Z, Fan G, Lou L, Wang Y, Zhang X, Xiong XF. Discovery of novel indazole derivatives as SOS1 agonists that activate KRAS signaling. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 93:117457. [PMID: 37688996 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117457] [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: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
KRAS serves as a vital regulator for cellular signaling and drives tumor pathogenesis after mutation. Despite extensive research efforts spanning several decades, targeting KRAS is still challenging due to the multiple KRAS mutations and the emergence of drug resistance. Interfering the interactions between KRAS and SOS1 is one of the promising approaches for modulating KRAS functions. Herein, we discovered small-molecule SOS1 agonists with novel indazole scaffold. Through structure-based optimization, compound 11 was identified with high SOS1 activation potency (p-ERK EC50 = 1.53 μM). In HeLa cells, compound 11 enhances cellular RAS-GTP levels and exhibits biphasic modulation of ERK1/2 phosphorylation through an on-target mechanism and presents the therapeutic potential to modulate RAS signaling by activating SOS1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Zhendong Song
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Guangjin Fan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Linlin Lou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yuanxiang Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
| | - Xiao-Feng Xiong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Chiral Molecule and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 510006 Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China.
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11
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Cordova M, Moutzouri P, Nilsson Lill SO, Cousen A, Kearns M, Norberg ST, Svensk Ankarberg A, McCabe J, Pinon AC, Schantz S, Emsley L. Atomic-level structure determination of amorphous molecular solids by NMR. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5138. [PMID: 37612269 PMCID: PMC10447443 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40853-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Structure determination of amorphous materials remains challenging, owing to the disorder inherent to these materials. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) powder crystallography is a powerful method to determine the structure of molecular solids, but disorder leads to a high degree of overlap between measured signals, and prevents the unambiguous identification of a single modeled periodic structure as representative of the whole material. Here, we determine the atomic-level ensemble structure of the amorphous form of the drug AZD4625 by combining solid-state NMR experiments with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and machine-learned chemical shifts. By considering the combined shifts of all 1H and 13C atomic sites in the molecule, we determine the structure of the amorphous form by identifying an ensemble of local molecular environments that are in agreement with experiment. We then extract and analyze preferred conformations and intermolecular interactions in the amorphous sample in terms of the stabilization of the amorphous form of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Cordova
- Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials MARVEL, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pinelopi Moutzouri
- Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sten O Nilsson Lill
- Data Science & Modelling, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alexander Cousen
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Martin Kearns
- Early Product Development and Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Stefan T Norberg
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Svensk Ankarberg
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - James McCabe
- Early Product Development and Manufacturing, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield, UK
| | - Arthur C Pinon
- Swedish NMR Center, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, 41390, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Schantz
- Oral Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Lyndon Emsley
- Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- National Centre for Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials MARVEL, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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12
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Zhou X, Ji Y, Zhou J. Multiple Strategies to Develop Small Molecular KRAS Directly Bound Inhibitors. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083615. [PMID: 37110848 PMCID: PMC10146153 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083615] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
KRAS gene mutation is widespread in tumors and plays an important role in various malignancies. Targeting KRAS mutations is regarded as the "holy grail" of targeted cancer therapies. Recently, multiple strategies, including covalent binding strategy, targeted protein degradation strategy, targeting protein and protein interaction strategy, salt bridge strategy, and multivalent strategy, have been adopted to develop KRAS direct inhibitors for anti-cancer therapy. Various KRAS-directed inhibitors have been developed, including the FDA-approved drugs sotorasib and adagrasib, KRAS-G12D inhibitor MRTX1133, and KRAS-G12V inhibitor JAB-23000, etc. The different strategies greatly promote the development of KRAS inhibitors. Herein, the strategies are summarized, which would shed light on the drug discovery for both KRAS and other "undruggable" targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xile Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, China
| | - Yang Ji
- Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
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13
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Leini R, Pantsar T. In Silico Evaluation of the Thr58-Associated Conserved Water with KRAS Switch-II Pocket Binders. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1490-1505. [PMID: 36854010 PMCID: PMC10015465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
The KRAS switch-II pocket (SII-P) has proven to be one of the most successful tools for targeting KRAS with small molecules to date. This has been demonstrated with several KRAS(G12C)-targeting covalent inhibitors, already resulting in two FDA-approved drugs. Several earlier-stage compounds have also been reported to engage KRAS SII-P with other position 12 mutants, including G12D, G12S, and G12R. A highly conserved water molecule exists in the KRAS SII-P, linking Thr58 of switch-II and Gly10 of β1 sheet. This conserved water is also present in the cocrystal structures of most of the disclosed small-molecule inhibitors but is only displaced by a handful of SII-P binders. Here, we evaluated the conserved water molecule energetics by the WaterMap for the SII-P binders with publicly disclosed structures and studied the water behavior in the presence of selected inhibitors by microsecond timescale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using two water models (total simulation time of 120 μs). Our data revealed the high-energy nature of this hydration site when coexisting with an SII-P binder and that there is a preference for a single isolated hydration site in this location within the most advanced compounds. Furthermore, water displacement was only achieved with a few disclosed compounds and was suboptimal, as for instance a cyanomethyl group as a water displacer appears to introduce repulsion with the native conformation of Thr58. These results suggested that this conserved water should be considered more central when designing new inhibitors, especially in the design of noncovalent inhibitors targeting the SII-P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renne Leini
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tatu Pantsar
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Yliopistonranta 1C, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
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14
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Wang H, Chi L, Yu F, Dai H, Gao C, Si X, Wang Z, Liu L, Zheng J, Shan L, Liu H, Zhang Q. Annual review of KRAS inhibitors in 2022. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 249:115124. [PMID: 36680986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Kirsten rat sarcoma viral (KRAS) oncogene is the most commonly mutated isoform of RAS, accounting for 85% of RAS-driven human cancers. KRAS functioning as a signaling hub participates in multiple cellular signaling pathways and regulates a variety of critical processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, growth, metabolism and migration. Over the past decades, KRAS oncoprotein has been considered as an "undruggable" target due to its smooth surface and high GTP/GDP affinity. The breakthrough in directly targeting G12C mutated-KRAS and recently approved covalent KRASG12C inhibitors sotorasib and adagrasib broke the myth of KRAS undruggable and confirmed the directly targeting KRAS as one of the most promising strategies for the treatment of cancers. Targeting KRASG12C successfully enriched the understanding of KRAS and brought opportunities for the development of inhibitors to directly target other KRAS mutations. With the stage now set for a new era in the treatment of KRAS-driven cancers, the development of KRAS inhibitors also enters a booming epoch. In this review, we overviewed the research progress of KRAS inhibitors with the potential to treat cancers covering articles published in 2022. The design strategies, discovery processes, structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, cocrystal structure analysis as well as in vitro and in vivo activity were highlighted with the aim of providing updated sight to accelerate the further development of more potent inhibitors targeting various mutated-KRAS with favorable drug-like properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Lingling Chi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Fuqiang Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Honglin Dai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Chao Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Xiaojie Si
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Zhengjie Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Limin Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Jiaxin Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Lihong Shan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Hongmin Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment, Zhengzhou, 450052, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Qiurong Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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15
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19F NMR Chemical Shifts Are Sensitive to Remote Functional Group Variations. J Mol Struct 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2023.135273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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16
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Lorthiois E, Gerspacher M, Beyer KS, Vaupel A, Leblanc C, Stringer R, Weiss A, Wilcken R, Guthy DA, Lingel A, Bomio-Confaglia C, Machauer R, Rigollier P, Ottl J, Arz D, Bernet P, Desjonqueres G, Dussauge S, Kazic-Legueux M, Lozac'h MA, Mura C, Sorge M, Todorov M, Warin N, Zink F, Voshol H, Zecri FJ, Sedrani RC, Ostermann N, Brachmann SM, Cotesta S. JDQ443, a Structurally Novel, Pyrazole-Based, Covalent Inhibitor of KRAS G12C for the Treatment of Solid Tumors. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16173-16203. [PMID: 36399068 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Rapid emergence of tumor resistance via RAS pathway reactivation has been reported from clinical studies of covalent KRASG12C inhibitors. Thus, inhibitors with broad potential for combination treatment and distinct binding modes to overcome resistance mutations may prove beneficial. JDQ443 is an investigational covalent KRASG12C inhibitor derived from structure-based drug design followed by extensive optimization of two dissimilar prototypes. JDQ443 is a stable atropisomer containing a unique 5-methylpyrazole core and a spiro-azetidine linker designed to position the electrophilic acrylamide for optimal engagement with KRASG12C C12. A substituted indazole at pyrazole position 3 results in novel interactions with the binding pocket that do not involve residue H95. JDQ443 showed PK/PD activity in vivo and dose-dependent antitumor activity in mouse xenograft models. JDQ443 is now in clinical development, with encouraging early phase data reported from an ongoing Phase Ib/II clinical trial (NCT04699188).
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwige Lorthiois
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Marc Gerspacher
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Kim S Beyer
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Vaupel
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Leblanc
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Rowan Stringer
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Weiss
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Wilcken
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Daniel A Guthy
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Lingel
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | | | - Rainer Machauer
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Rigollier
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Ottl
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Dorothee Arz
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Solene Dussauge
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Christophe Mura
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Mickaël Sorge
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Milen Todorov
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Warin
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Florence Zink
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Hans Voshol
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Frederic J Zecri
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Richard C Sedrani
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Nils Ostermann
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
| | | | - Simona Cotesta
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, BaselCH-4056, Switzerland
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17
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Song Z, Lou L, Fan G, Liu L, Ge Y, Liu H, Chan AS, Zhang X, Xiong XF. Identification of novel Pyrrolo[2,3-d]Pyrimidine-based KRAS G12C inhibitors with anticancer effects. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 245:114907. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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18
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Kenny PW. Hydrogen-Bond Donors in Drug Design. J Med Chem 2022; 65:14261-14275. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter W. Kenny
- Berwick-on-Sea, North Coast Road, Blanchisseuse, Saint George, Trinidad and Tobago
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19
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Carlsson ACC, Karlsson S, Munday RH, Tatton MR. Approaches to Synthesis and Isolation of Enantiomerically Pure Biologically Active Atropisomers. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:2938-2948. [PMID: 36194144 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.2c00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Atropisomerism is a stereochemical phenomenon exhibited by molecules containing a rotationally restricted σ bond. Contrary to classical point chirality, the two atropisomeric stereoisomers exist as a dynamic mixture and can be interconverted without the requirement of breaking and reforming a bond. Although this feature increases structural complexity, atropisomers have become frequent targets in medicinal chemistry projects. Their axial chirality, e.g., from axially chiral biaryl motifs, gives access to unique 3D structures. It is often desirable to have access to both enantiomers of the atropisomers via a nonselective reaction during the early discovery phase as it allows the medicinal chemistry team to probe the structure activity relationship in both directions. However, once a single atropisomer is selected, it presents several problems. First, the pure single atropisomer may interconvert to the undesired stereoisomer under certain conditions. Second, separation of atropisomers is nontrivial and often requires expensive chiral stationary phases using chromatography or additives if a salt resolution approach is chosen. Other options can be kinetic resolution using enzymes or chiral catalysts. However, apart from the high cost often associated with the two latter methods, a maximum yield of only 50% of the desired atropisomer can be obtained. The ideal approach is to install the chiral atropisomeric axis enantioselectively or employing a dynamic kinetic resolution approach. In theory, both approaches have the potential to provide a single atropisomer in quantitative yield. This Account will discuss the successes/failures and challenges we have experienced in developing methods for resolution/separation and asymmetric synthesis of atropisomeric drug candidates in one of our early phase drug development projects. Suitability for the different methods at various stages of the drug development phase is discussed. Depending on the scale and time available, a separation of a mixture of atropisomers by chromatography was sometimes preferred, whereas asymmetric- or resolution approaches were desired for long-term supply. With the use of chromatography, the impact on separation efficiency and solvent consumption, depending on the nature of the substrate, is discussed. We hope that with this Account the readers will get a better view on the challenges medicinal and process chemists meet when designing new atropisomeric drug candidates and developing processes for manufacture of a single atropisomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Carin C Carlsson
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca Gothenburg, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Staffan Karlsson
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca Gothenburg, SE-431 83 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Rachel H Munday
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology & Development, Operations, AstraZeneca Macclesfield, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Tatton
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biopharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca Macclesfield, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
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20
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Chakraborty A, Hanson L, Robinson D, Lewis H, Bickerton S, Davies M, Polanski R, Whiteley R, Koers A, Atkinson J, Baker T, del Barco Barrantes I, Ciotta G, Kettle JG, Magiera L, Martins CP, Peter A, Wigmore E, Underwood Z, Cosulich S, Niedbala M, Ross S. AZD4625 is a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of KRASG12C. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1535-1546. [PMID: 35930755 PMCID: PMC9538594 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
AZD4625 is a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable inhibitor of oncogenic KRASG12C as demonstrated in cellular assays and in vivo in preclinical cell line-derived and patient-derived xenograft models. In vitro and cellular assays have shown selective binding and inhibition of the KRASG12C mutant isoform, which carries a glycine to cysteine mutation at residue 12, with no binding and inhibition of wild-type RAS or isoforms carrying non-KRASG12C mutations. The pharmacology of AZD4625 shows that it has the potential to provide therapeutic benefit to patients with KRASG12C mutant cancer as either a monotherapy treatment or in combination with other targeted drug agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sarah Ross
- AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Corresponding Author: Sarah Ross, Bioscience, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0RE, United Kingdom. Phone: +44 (0) 7584 909550; E-mail:
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21
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Cheng R, Lv X, Bu H, Xu Q, Wu J, Xie K, Tang J, Wang L, Zhuang J, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yan C, Lai Y. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of 4(1H)-quinolinone and urea derivatives as KRASG12C inhibitors with potent antitumor activity against KRAS-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 244:114808. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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22
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Yao W, Lu CJ, Feng J, Liu RR. Palladium/Amino Acid Co-catalyzed Atroposelective C-H Olefination to Access Tetra-Ortho-Substituted Atropisomers Featuring 2,2'-Difluoro-1-biaryl Scaffolds. Org Lett 2022; 24:6148-6153. [PMID: 35952380 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c02303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the great advancement in atroposelective synthesis in the past decades, the enantioselective synthesis of 2,2'-difluoro-1-biaryls is unprecedented. Herein, a palladium and chiral amino acid catalyzed atroposelective C-H olefination to construct the axially chiral 2,2'-difluoro-1-biaryls is reported. A variety of polyfluoro-substituted biaryls were forged under mild conditions in good yields with excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). The potential application was demonstrated by a gram-scale synthesis and synthetic transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Yao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chuan-Jun Lu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jia Feng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Ren-Rong Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
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23
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Kantae V, Polanski R, Lewis HJ, Haider A, Barratt D, Srinivasan B. Accelerating the Validation of Endogenous On-Target Engagement and In Cellulo Kinetic Assessment for Covalent Inhibitors of KRAS G12C in Early Drug Discovery. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:2366-2376. [PMID: 35881961 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Covalent inhibition is a valuable modality in drug discovery because of its potential ability in decoupling pharmacokinetics from pharmacodynamics by prolonging the residence time of the drug on the target of interest. This increase in target occupancy is limited only by the rate of target turnover. However, a limitation in such studies is to translate the in vitro inhibition assessment to the appropriate in cellulo target engagement parameter by covalent probes. Estimation of such parameters is often impeded by the low-throughput nature of current probe-free approaches. In this study, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry platform was utilized to develop a targeted proteomics workflow that can evaluate cellular on-target engagement of covalent molecules in an increased throughput manner. This workflow enabled a throughput increase of 5-10 fold when compared to traditional nanoLC-based proteomics studies. To demonstrate the applicability of the method, KRASG12C was used as a model system to investigate the interaction of an irreversible covalent small molecule, compound 25, both in vitro and in cellulo. Initial biochemical studies confirmed that the small molecule forms an adduct with the targeted cysteine on the protein, as assessed at the level of both intact protein and on the target peptide. In cellulo studies were carried out to quantify target engagement and allele selectivity assessment for the small molecule in the heterozygous NCI-H358 cell line for KRASG12C with respect to the WT type protein. The workflow enabled evaluation of in vitro and in cellulo target engagement kinetics, providing mechanistic insights into the irreversible mode of inhibition. In summary, the method has the potential for target agnostic application in the assessment of on-target engagement of covalent probes compatible with the high-throughput requirements of early drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudev Kantae
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
| | - Radoslaw Polanski
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
| | | | - Afreen Haider
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
| | - Derek Barratt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
| | - Bharath Srinivasan
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
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Du H, Jiang D, Gao J, Zhang X, Jiang L, Zeng Y, Wu Z, Shen C, Xu L, Cao D, Hou T, Pan P. Proteome-Wide Profiling of the Covalent-Druggable Cysteines with a Structure-Based Deep Graph Learning Network. Research (Wash D C) 2022; 2022:9873564. [PMID: 35958111 PMCID: PMC9343084 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9873564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Covalent ligands have attracted increasing attention due to their unique advantages, such as long residence time, high selectivity, and strong binding affinity. They also show promise for targets where previous efforts to identify noncovalent small molecule inhibitors have failed. However, our limited knowledge of covalent binding sites has hindered the discovery of novel ligands. Therefore, developing in silico methods to identify covalent binding sites is highly desirable. Here, we propose DeepCoSI, the first structure-based deep graph learning model to identify ligandable covalent sites in the protein. By integrating the characterization of the binding pocket and the interactions between each cysteine and the surrounding environment, DeepCoSI achieves state-of-the-art predictive performances. The validation on two external test sets which mimic the real application scenarios shows that DeepCoSI has strong ability to distinguish ligandable sites from the others. Finally, we profiled the entire set of protein structures in the RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) with DeepCoSI to evaluate the ligandability of each cysteine for covalent ligand design, and made the predicted data publicly available on website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Du
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
- State Key Lab of CAD&CG, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Dejun Jiang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
- State Key Lab of CAD&CG, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Junbo Gao
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Xujun Zhang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingxiao Jiang
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Yundian Zeng
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhenxing Wu
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Chao Shen
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Medical Engineering, School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Jiangsu University of Technology, Changzhou 213001, China
| | - Dongsheng Cao
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410004 Hunan, China
| | - Tingjun Hou
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
- State Key Lab of CAD&CG, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
| | - Peichen Pan
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of Zhejiang University, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 Zhejiang, China
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Imaizumi T, Akaiwa M, Abe T, Nigawara T, Koike T, Satake Y, Watanabe K, Kaneko O, Amano Y, Mori K, Yamanaka Y, Nagashima T, Shimazaki M, Kuramoto K. Discovery and biological evaluation of 1-{2,7-diazaspiro[3.5]nonan-2-yl}prop-2-en-1-one derivatives as covalent inhibitors of KRAS G12C with favorable metabolic stability and anti-tumor activity. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 71:116949. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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