Small Molecule Antagonists of the Nuclear Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Thiourea compounds as multifaceted bioactive agents in medicinal chemistry

Microbial resistance (MR) and cancer are global healthcare pitfalls that have caused millions of deaths and pose a significant pharmaceutical challenge, with clinical cases increasing. Thioureas are preferred structures in medicinal chemistry, chemosensors, and organic synthesis platforms. In fact, thiourea (TU) moieties serve as a common framework for several medications and bioactive substances, demonstrating a wide range of therapeutic and pharmacological accomplishments. The integration of the thiourea moiety into a diverse range of organic molecules has resulted in very flexible compounds with widespread uses in medicinal chemistry. Moreover, for over a century, TU and its metal complexes have been characterized for their biological activity. Finally, we provide an assessment and future outlook of different organo-thiourea derivatives, from the very beginning to the most recent discoveries in medicinal activity.

Current and emerging approaches to noncompetitive AR inhibition

The androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to be a key determinant in the pathogenesis of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The current standard of care therapies targets the ligand-binding domain of the receptor and can afford improvements to life expectancy often only in the order of months before resistance occurs. Emerging preclinical and clinical compounds that inhibit receptor activity via differentiated mechanisms of action which are orthogonal to current antiandrogens show promise for overcoming treatment resistance. In this review, we present an authoritative summary of molecules that noncompetitively target the AR. Emerging small molecule strategies for targeting alternative domains of the AR represent a promising area of research that shows significant potential for future therapies. The overall quality of lead candidates in the area of noncompetitive AR inhibition is discussed, and it identifies the key chemotypes and associated properties which are likely to be, or are currently, positioned to be first in human applications.

Building Up a Piperazine Ring from a Primary Amino Group via Catalytic Reductive Cyclization of Dioximes

Piperazine is one of the most frequently found scaffolds in small-molecule FDA-approved drugs. In this study, a general approach to the synthesis of piperazines bearing substituents at carbon and nitrogen atoms utilizing primary amines and nitrosoalkenes as synthons was developed. The method relies on sequential double Michael addition of nitrosoalkenes to amines to give bis(oximinoalkyl)amines, followed by stereoselective catalytic reductive cyclization of the oxime groups. The method that we developed allows a straightforward structural modification of bioactive molecules (e.g., α-amino acids) by the conversion of a primary amino group into a piperazine ring.

Therapeutic Strategies to Target the Androgen Receptor

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in the maintenance of muscle and bone and the support of male sexual-related functions, as well as in the progression of prostate cancer. Accordingly, AR-targeted therapies have been developed for the treatment of related human diseases and conditions. AR agonists are an important class of drugs in the treatment of bone loss and muscle atrophy. AR antagonists have also been developed for the treatment of prostate cancer, including metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Additionally, selective AR degraders (SARDs) have been reported. More recently, heterobifunctional degrader molecules of AR have been developed, and four such compounds are now in clinical development for the treatment of human prostate cancer. This review attempts to summarize the different types of compounds designed to target AR and the current frontiers of research on this important therapeutic target.

Synthesis, antifungal activity and 3D-QSAR study of novel acyl thiourea compounds containing gem-dimethylcyclopropane ring

A series of novel acyl thiourea compounds containing gem-dimethylcyclopropane ring were designed and synthesized by multi-step reactions in search of novel antifungal molecules. Structures of all the target compounds were characterized by spectral techniques of UV-vis, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and ESI-MS. The antifungal activity of the target compounds was preliminarily evaluated by agar dilution method. The antifungal bioassay revealed that, at 50 μg/mL, compounds 5h (R = o-F), 5m (R = p-Br), and 5n (R = o-NO₂) showed the same antifungal activity of 73.6% against Physalospora piricola, which was comparable than that of the positive control. Furthermore, against Gibberella zeae, compounds 5k (R = m-Cl), 5l (R = m-Br), 5m (R = p-Br), and 5n (R = o-NO₂) displayed the same antifungal activity of 75.6%, and compound 5o (R = p-NO₂) displayed antifungal activity of 78.8%, which were all better than that of the positive control. The preliminary analysis of 3D-QSAR model was performed to study the effect of molecular structure on biological activity using the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) method. The results showed 3D-QSAR model (r² = 0.995, q² = 0.503) was reasonable and effective.

Facile access to [1,2]-oxazine derivatives via annulations of aminoxy-tethered 1,7-enynes

An efficient approach for the highly diastereoselective construction of functionalized cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines via sequential oxyamination and Pauson-Khand reaction of readily accessible propargylic alcohols has been developed. Furthermore, the ring closing metathesis of these N-O linked 1,7-enynes afforded vinylated-[1,2]oxazines in good yields. The reduction of the N-O bond of the obtained cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazine is accomplished to access cyclopentenone-based amino alcohols.

Discovery of novel arylthioacetic acid derivatives as 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitors

BACKGROUND

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) plays an important role in addressing the issue of plant protection research. In a continuing effort to discover novel HPPD inhibitors, we adopted a bioisosterism strategy to design a series of novel arylthioacetic acid scaffold based on the previously discovered aryloxyacetic acid scaffold. This study sheds new light on the discovery of novel HPPD inhibitors.

RESULTS

The compounds A1-A30 and B1-B39 were prepared through an efficient synthetic route for in vitro and glasshouse experiments (herbicidal activities, herbicidal activity spectrum, and crop selectivity). Preliminary bioassay results reveal that these derivatives are promising Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD inhibitors, compounds A11 (K_i = 0.021 μmol L^-1 ) and B20 (K_i = 0.022 μmol L^-1 ), which exhibit similar activities to that of mesotrione (K_i = 0.020 μmol L^-1 ). The glasshouse experiments data indicated that compounds B34 displayed excellent herbicidal activity, which was higher compared to that of mesotrione. Moreover, molecular simulation results show that the compounds B20, B34, and mesotrione shared similar interplay with surrounding residues, which led to a perfect interaction with the active site of Arabidopsis thaliana HPPD. Based on herbicidal results, compound B34 was selected for crop selectivity studies (corn injury ≤ 10%), indicating its potential for weed control in corn fields.

CONCLUSION

These bioassay results showed that the compound B34 could be used as a possible lead compound for the development of HPPD inhibitors. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of 1,1-cyclopropylidene as a thioether isostere in the 4-thio-thienopyrimidine (TTP) series of antimalarials

The 4-(heteroarylthio)thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine (TTP) series of antimalarials, represented by 1 and 17, potently inhibit proliferation of the 3D7 strain of P. falciparum (EC₅₀ 70-100 nM), but suffer from oxidative metabolism. The 1,1-cyclopropylidene isosteres 6 and 16 were designed to obviate this drawback. They were prepared by a short route that features a combined Peterson methylenation / cyclopropanation transformation of, e. g., ketone 7. Isosteres 6 and 16 possess significantly attenuated antimalarial potency relative to parents 1 and 17. This outcome can be rationalized based on the increased out-of-plane steric demands of the latter two. In support of this hypothesis, the relatively flat ketone 7 retains some of the potency of 1, even though it appears to be a comparatively inferior mimic with respect to electronics and bond lengths and angles. We also demonstrate crystallographically and computationally an apparent increase in the strength of the intramolecular sulfur hole interaction of 1 upon protonation.

High Content Screening Using New U2OS Reporter Cell Models Identifies Harmol Hydrochloride as a Selective and Competitive Antagonist of the Androgen Receptor

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men. Its growth mainly relies on the activity of the androgen receptor (AR), justifying the use of androgen deprivation therapy as a gold standard treatment for the metastatic disease. Inhibition of the androgen axis using second generation antagonists has improved patients’ survival, but is systematically confronted to resistance mechanisms, leading to a median survival that does not exceed 5 years. Counteracting this resistance has been the object of a large number of investigations, with a particular emphasis towards the identification of new AR inhibitors, whether they antagonize the receptor by a competitive or a non-competitive binding. To this end, many high content screens have been performed, to identify new non-steroidal AR antagonists, using a variety of approaches, but reported somewhat controversial results, depending on the approach and on the cell model that was used for screening. In our study, we used the U2OS osteosarcoma cells stably transfected with AR or ARv7 and a luciferase reporter as a previously validated model to screen the Prestwick Phytochemical library. The results of our screen identified ellipticine, harmol, and harmine hydrochloride as confirmed hits. Surprisingly, we could demonstrate that harmol hydrochloride, previously identified as a non-competitive inhibitor of AR or a weak inhibitor of androgen signaling, was actually a competitive antagonist of AR, which inhibits the growth of VCaP prostate cancer line, at concentrations for which it did not affect the growth of the AR negative DU145 and PC3 cells. Interestingly, we also report for the first time that harmol hydrochloride was selective for AR, as it could not alter the activity of other nuclear receptors, such as the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the progesterone receptor (PR), or the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). Additionally, we demonstrate that, conversely to enzalutamide, harmol hydrochloride did not show any agonistic activity towards the pregnane X receptor (PXR), a master regulator of drug metabolism. Together, our results shed light on the importance of the cellular context for the screening of new AR antagonists. They further indicate that some of the potential hits that were previously identified may have been overlooked.

Non-Steroidal Androgen Receptor Antagonists and Prostate Cancer: A Survey on Chemical Structures Binding this Fast-Mutating Target

The Androgen Receptor (AR) pathway plays a major role in both the pathogenesis and progression of prostate cancer. In particular, AR is chiefly involved in the development of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) as well as in the resistance to the secondgeneration AR antagonist enzalutamide, and to the selective inhibitor of cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) abiraterone. Several small molecules acting as AR antagonists have been designed and developed so far, also as a result of the ability of cells expressing this molecular target to rapidly develop resistance and turn pure receptor antagonists into ineffective or event detrimental molecules. This review covers a survey of most promising classes of non-steroidal androgen receptor antagonists, also providing insights into their mechanism of action and efficacy in treating prostate cancer.

Co(II)-salen catalyzed stereoselective cyclopropanation of fluorinated styrenes

Three cis-selective Co(II)-salen complexes have been developed for the asymmetric cyclopropanation of para-fluorinated styrenes with ethyl diazoacetate. Increasing the steric reach of the C₂ -symmetric ligand side chains improved the enantiomeric ratio of the reaction from 28:1 to 66:1. The methodology was exemplified by the gram-scale synthesis of a lead compound for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), as well as a structurally related analog.

A Novel Small Molecule Targets Androgen Receptor and Its Splice Variants in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Reactivation of androgen receptor (AR) appears to be the major mechanism driving the resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) to second-generation antiandrogens and involves AR overexpression, AR mutation, and/or expression of AR splice variants lacking ligand-binding domain. There is a need for novel small molecules targeting AR, particularly those also targeting AR splice variants such as ARv7. A high-throughput/high-content screen was previously reported that led to the discovery of a novel lead compound, 2-(((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl)thio)-1-(4-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)ethan-1-one (IMTPPE), capable of inhibiting nuclear AR level and activity in CRPC cells, including those resistant to enzalutamide. A novel analogue of IMTPPE, JJ-450, has been investigated with evidence for its direct and specific inhibition of AR transcriptional activity via a pulldown assay and RNA-sequencing analysis, PSA-based luciferase, qPCR, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, and xenograft tumor model 22Rv1. JJ-450 blocks AR recruitment to androgen-responsive elements and suppresses AR target gene expression. JJ-450 also inhibits ARv7 transcriptional activity and its target gene expression. Importantly, JJ-450 suppresses the growth of CRPC tumor xenografts, including ARv7-expressing 22Rv1. Collectively, these findings suggest JJ-450 represents a new class of AR antagonists with therapeutic potential for CRPC, including those resistant to enzalutamide.

Assays to Interrogate the Ability of Compounds to Inhibit the AF-2 or AF-1 Transactivation Domains of the Androgen Receptor

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. Twenty percent of patients receiving the standard of care androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) eventually progress to metastatic and incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Current FDA-approved drugs for CRPC target androgen receptor (AR) binding or androgen production, but only provide a 2- to 5-month survival benefit due to the emergence of resistance. Overexpression of AR coactivators and the emergence of AR splice variants, both promote continued transcriptional activation under androgen-depleted conditions and represent drug resistance mechanisms that contribute to CRPC progression. The AR contains two transactivation domains, activation function 2 (AF-2) and activation function 1 (AF-1), which serve as binding surfaces for coactivators involved in the transcriptional activation of AR target genes. Full-length AR contains both AF-2 and AF-1 surfaces, whereas AR splice variants only have an AF-1 surface. We have recently prosecuted a high-content screening campaign to identify hit compounds that can inhibit or disrupt the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between AR and transcriptional intermediary factor 2 (TIF2), one of the coactivators implicated in CRPC disease progression. Since an ideal inhibitor/disruptor of AR-coactivator PPIs would target both the AF-2 and AF-1 surfaces, we describe here the development and validation of five AF-2- and three AF-1-focused assays to interrogate and prioritize hits that disrupt both transactivation surfaces. The assays were validated using a test set of seven known AR modulator compounds, including three AR antagonists and one androgen synthesis inhibitor that are FDA-approved ADTs, two investigational molecules that target the N-terminal domain of AR, and an inhibitor of the Hsp90 (heat shock protein) molecular chaperone.

Hsp70 Binds to the Androgen Receptor N-terminal Domain and Modulates the Receptor Function in Prostate Cancer Cells

The androgen receptor (AR) is a key driver and therapeutic target in androgen-sensitive prostate cancer, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and CRPC resistant to abiraterone and enzalutamide, two second-generation inhibitors of AR signaling. Because current AR inhibitors target a functioning C-terminal ligand-binding domain (LBD), the identification and characterization of cofactors interacting with the N-terminal domain (NTD) of AR may lead to new approaches to target AR signaling in CRPC. Using a pull-down approach coupled with proteomics, we have identified Hsp70 as a cofactor for the NTD of AR in prostate cancer cells. Hsp70 inhibition using siRNA or small molecules indicated that Hsp70 played an important role in the expression and transactivation of endogenous AR. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) promoter/enhancer-driven luciferase assays showed that Hsp70 was also required for transactivation of AR mutant lacking LBD. Furthermore, clonogenic assays showed that an Hsp70 inhibitor, either alone or in synergy with enzalutamide, can inhibit the proliferation of 22Rv1, a widely used enzalutamide-resistant CRPC prostate cancer cell line. These findings suggest that Hsp70 is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of enzalutamide-resistant CRPC.

Computational assessment of thioether isosteres

Replacement of the sulfur atom in biologically active diaryl and heteroaryl thioethers (Ar-S-Ar', HAr-S-Ar, and HAr-S-HAr') with any of several one-atom or two-atom linkers can be expected to reduce the susceptibility of the analogue to metabolic oxidation, a well-documented problem for thioethers intended for medicinal chemistry applications. Ab initio calculations indicate how well various proposed thioether isosteric groups, including some new and unusual ones, may perform structurally and electronically in replacing the bridging sulfur atom. Four of these are calculationally evaluated as proposed substructures in Axitinib analogues. The predicted binding behavior of the latter within two different previously crystallographically characterized protein-Axitinib binding sites (VEGFR2 kinase and ABL1 T315I gatekeeper mutant kinase), and an assessment of their suitability and anticipated shortcomings, are presented.

Inhibition of Androgen Receptor Function and Level in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells by 2-[(isoxazol-4-ylmethyl)thio]-1-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)ethanone

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) as well as in the resistance to the second-generation AR antagonist enzalutamide and the selective inhibitor of cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17A1) abiraterone. Novel agents targeting AR may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells resistant to enzalutamide and/or abiraterone. Through a high-throughput/high-content screening of a 220,000-member small molecule library, we have previously identified 2-[(isoxazol-4-ylmethyl)thio]-1-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)ethanone (IMTPPE) (SID 3712502) as a novel small molecule capable of inhibiting AR transcriptional activity and protein level in C4-2 prostate cancer cells. In this study, we show that IMTPPE inhibits AR-target gene expression using real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and luciferase assays. IMTPPE inhibited proliferation of AR-positive, but not AR-negative, prostate cancer cells in culture. IMTPPE inhibited the transcriptional activity of a mutant AR lacking the ligand-binding domain (LBD), indicating that IMTPPE inhibition of AR is independent of the LBD. Furthermore, animal studies showed that IMTPPE inhibited the growth of 22Rv1 xenograft tumor, a model for enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer. These findings suggest that IMTPPE is a potential lead compound for developing clinical candidates for the treatment of CRPC, including those resistant to enzalutamide.