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Thankan RS, Thomas E, Purushottamachar P, Weber DJ, Njar VCO. Salinization Dramatically Enhance the Anti-Prostate Cancer Efficacies of AR/AR-V7 and Mnk1/2 Molecular Glue Degraders, Galeterone and VNPP433-3β Which Outperform Docetaxel and Enzalutamide in CRPC CWR22Rv1 Xenograft Mouse Model. Bioorg Chem 2023; 139:106700. [PMID: 37392559 PMCID: PMC10528634 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Galeterone, 3β-(hydroxy)-17-(1H-benzimidazole-1-yl)androsta-5,16-diene (Gal, 1) and VNPP433-3β, 3β-(1H-imidazole-1-yl-17-(1H-benzimidazole-1-yl)androsta-5,16-diene (2) are potent molecular glue degrader modulators of AR/AR-V7 and Mnk1/2-eIF4E signaling pathways, and are promising Phase 3 and Phase 1 drug candidates, respectively. Because appropriate salts can be utilized to create new chemical entities with enhanced aqueous solubility, in vivo pharmacokinetics, and enhanced in vitro and in vivo efficacies, the monohydrochloride salt of Gal (3) and the mono- and di-hydrochlorides salts of compound 2, compounds 4 and 5, respectively, were synthesized. The salts were characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HRMS analyses. Compound 3 displayed enhanced in vitro antiproliferative activity (7.4-fold) against three prostate cancer cell lines but surprisingly decreased plasma exposure in the pharmacokinetics study. The antiproliferative activities of the compound 2 salts (4 and 5) were equivalent to that of compound 2, but their oral pharmacokinetic profiles were significantly enhanced. Finally, and most importantly, oral administration of the parent compounds (1 and 2) and their corresponding salts (3, 4 and 5) caused dose-dependent potent inhibition/regression of aggressive and difficult-to-treat CWR22Rv1 tumor xenografts growth, with no apparent host toxicities and were highly more efficacious than the blockbuster FDA-approved prostate cancer drugs, Enzalutamide (Xtandi) and Docetaxel (Taxotere). Thus, the HCl salts of Gal (3) and VNPP433-3β (4 and 5) are excellent orally bioavailable candidates for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Retheesh S Thankan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Isoprene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 801 West Baltimore Street, Suite 502J, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Puranik Purushottamachar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Isoprene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 801 West Baltimore Street, Suite 502J, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - David J Weber
- The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Isoprene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 801 West Baltimore Street, Suite 502J, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
| | - Vincent C O Njar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; Isoprene Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 801 West Baltimore Street, Suite 502J, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
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Targeted Degradation of Androgen Receptor by VNPP433-3β in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells Implicates Interaction with E3 Ligase MDM2 Resulting in Ubiquitin-Proteasomal Degradation. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041198. [PMID: 36831540 PMCID: PMC9954018 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation is a fast-evolving therapeutic strategy to target even the traditionally undruggable target proteins. Contrary to the traditional small-molecule inhibitors of enzyme or receptor antagonists that bind the active site pockets in the target protein, molecular glue degraders facilitate interaction of target proteins with E3 ubiquitin ligases by stabilizing the ternary complex and induce physical proximity, thereby triggering ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. AR plays a key role in all stages of prostate cancer. It is activated by the binding of androgenic hormones and transcriptionally regulates multiple genes including the ones that regulate cell cycle. Using HiBiT CRISPR cell line, biochemical methods, and RNA sequencing, we report the potential role of VNPP433-3β, the next generation galeterone analog as molecular glue that brings together AR, the key driver of prostate cancer and MDM2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase leading to ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of f-AR and AR-V7 in prostate cancer cells.
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Thomas E, Thankan RS, Purushottamachar P, Huang W, Kane MA, Zhang Y, Ambulos N, Weber DJ, Njar VCO. Transcriptome profiling reveals that VNPP433-3β, the lead next-generation galeterone analog inhibits prostate cancer stem cells by downregulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and stem cell markers. Mol Carcinog 2022; 61:643-654. [PMID: 35512605 PMCID: PMC9322274 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) virtually present in all tumors albeit in small numbers are primarily responsible for driving cancer progression, metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cancer in men worldwide, and castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major challenge despite the tremendous advancements in medicine. Currently, none of the available treatment options are effective in treating CRPC. We earlier reported that VNPP433-3β, the lead next-generation galeterone analog is effective in treating preclinical in vivo models of CRPC. In this study using RNA-seq, cytological, and biochemical methods, we report that VNPP433-3β inhibits prostate CSCs by targeting key pathways critical to stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. VNPP433-3β inhibits CSCs in PCa, presumably by degrading the androgen receptor (AR) thereby decreasing the AR-mediated transcription of several stem cell markers including BMI1 and KLF4. Transcriptome analyses by RNA-seq, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis demonstrate that VNPP433-3β inhibits transcription of several genes and functional pathways critical to the prostate CSCs thereby inhibiting CSCs in PCa besides targeting the bulk of the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Retheesh S Thankan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Isoprene Pharmaceuticals Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Flavocure Biotech, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Puranik Purushottamachar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Maureen A Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Yuji Zhang
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Nicholas Ambulos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - David J Weber
- The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Vincent C O Njar
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,The Center for Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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