Differential network analysis of ROS1 inhibitors reveals lorlatinib polypharmacology through co-targeting PYK2

Multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are often developed for the same indication. However, their relative overall efficacy is frequently incompletely understood and they may harbor unrecognized targets that cooperate with the intended target. We compared several ROS1 TKIs for inhibition of ROS1-fusion-positive lung cancer cell viability, ROS1 autophosphorylation and kinase activity, which indicated disproportionately higher cellular potency of one TKI, lorlatinib. Quantitative chemical and phosphoproteomics across four ROS1 TKIs and differential network analysis revealed that lorlatinib uniquely impacted focal adhesion signaling. Functional validation using pharmacological probes, RNA interference, and CRISPR-Cas9 knockout uncovered a polypharmacology mechanism of lorlatinib by dual targeting ROS1 and PYK2, which form a multiprotein complex with SRC. Rational multi-targeting of this complex by combining lorlatinib with SRC inhibitors exhibited pronounced synergy. Taken together, we show that systems pharmacology-based differential network analysis can dissect mixed canonical/non-canonical polypharmacology mechanisms across multiple TKIs enabling the design of rational drug combinations.

Development of potent and selective ULK1/2 inhibitors based on 7-azaindole scaffold with favorable in vivo properties

The UNC-51-like kinase-1 (ULK1) is one of the central upstream regulators of the autophagy pathway, represents a key target for the development of molecular probes to abrogate autophagy and explore potential therapeutic avenues. Here we report the discovery, structure-activity and structure-property relationships of selective, potent, and cell-active ULK1/2 inhibitors based on a 7-azaindole scaffold. Using structure-based drug design, we have developed a series of analogs with excellent binding affinity and biochemical activity against ULK1/2 (IC50 < 25 nM). The validation of cellular target engagement for these compounds was achieved through the employment of the ULK1 NanoBRET intracellular kinase assay. Notably, we have successfully solved the crystal structure of the lead compound, MR-2088, bound to the active site of ULK1. Moreover, the combination treatment of MR-2088 with known KRAS→RAF→MEK→ERK pathway inhibitors, such as trametinib, showed promising synergistic effect in vitro using H2030 (KRASG12C) cell lines. Lastly, our findings underscore MR-2088's potential to inhibit starvation/stimuli-induced autophagic flux, coupled with its suitability for in vivo studies based on its pharmacokinetic properties.

The reversible inhibitor SR-4835 binds Cdk12/cyclin K in a noncanonical G-loop conformation

Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) has evolved as an emerging anticancer strategy. In addition to the cell cycle-regulating CDKs, the transcriptional kinases Cdk12 and Cdk13 have become the focus of interest as they mediate a variety of functions, including the transition from transcription initiation to elongation and termination, precursor mRNA splicing, and intronic polyadenylation. Here, we determine the crystal structure of the small molecular inhibitor SR-4835 bound to the Cdk12/cyclin K complex at 2.68 Å resolution. The compound's benzimidazole moiety is embedded in a unique hydrogen bond network mediated by the kinase hinge region with flanking hydroxy groups of the Y815 and D819 side chains. Whereas the SR-4835 head group targets the adenine-binding pocket, the kinase's glycine-rich loop is shifted down toward the activation loop. Additionally, the αC-helix adopts an inward conformation, and the phosphorylated T-loop threonine interacts with all three canonical arginines, a hallmark of CDK activation that is altered in Cdk12 and Cdk13. Dose-response inhibition measurements with recombinant CMGC kinases show that SR-4835 is highly specific for Cdk12 and Cdk13 following a 10-fold lower potency for Cdk10. Whereas other CDK-targeting compounds exhibit tighter binding affinities and higher potencies for kinase inhibition, SR-4835 can be considered a selective transcription elongation antagonist. Our results provide the basis for a rational improvement of SR-4835 toward Cdk12 inhibition and a gain in selectivity over other transcription regulating CDKs.

CK1δ and CK1ε Signaling Sustains Mitochondrial Metabolism and Cell Survival in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma remains an incurable malignancy due to acquisition of intrinsic programs that drive therapy resistance. Here we report that casein kinase-1δ (CK1δ) and CK1ε are therapeutic targets in multiple myeloma that are necessary to sustain mitochondrial metabolism. Specifically, the dual CK1δ/CK1ε inhibitor SR-3029 had potent in vivo and ex vivo anti-multiple myeloma activity, including against primary multiple myeloma patient specimens. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and metabolic analyses revealed inhibiting CK1δ/CK1ε disables multiple myeloma metabolism by suppressing genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos), reducing citric acid cycle intermediates, and suppressing complexes I and IV of the electron transport chain. Finally, sensitivity of multiple myeloma patient specimens to SR-3029 correlated with elevated expression of mitochondrial genes, and RNA-seq from 687 multiple myeloma patient samples revealed that increased CSNK1D, CSNK1E, and OxPhos genes correlate with disease progression and inferior outcomes. Thus, increases in mitochondrial metabolism are a hallmark of multiple myeloma progression that can be disabled by targeting CK1δ/CK1ε.

SIGNIFICANCE

CK1δ and CK1ε are attractive therapeutic targets in multiple myeloma whose expression increases with disease progression and connote poor outcomes, and that are necessary to sustain expression of genes directing OxPhos.

Going beyond Binary: Rapid Identification of Protein-Protein Interaction Modulators Using a Multifragment Kinetic Target-Guided Synthesis Approach

Kinetic target-guided synthesis (KTGS) is a powerful screening approach that enables identification of small molecule modulators for biomolecules. While many KTGS variants have emerged, a majority of the examples suffer from limited throughput and a poor signal/noise ratio, hampering reliable hit detection. Herein, we present our optimized multifragment KTGS screening strategy that tackles these limitations. This approach utilizes selected reaction monitoring liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for hit detection, enabling the incubation of 190 fragment combinations per screening well. Consequentially, our fragment library was expanded from 81 possible combinations to 1710, representing the largest KTGS screening library assembled to date. The expanded library was screened against Mcl-1, leading to the discovery of 24 inhibitors. This work unveils the true potential of KTGS with respect to the rapid and reliable identification of hits, further highlighting its utility as a complement to the existing repertoire of screening methods used in drug discovery.

Abstract 3839: Discovery of GSTZ1 as a novel target for drug refractory non-small cell lung cancer by using fragment-based chemical proteomics

A subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients respond poorly to clinical drugs targeting defined oncogenic driver mutations. To improve the efficacy of these drugs in drug refractory NSCLC, the identification of supporting therapeutic targets and discovery of the binding molecules are urgently needed. Photoreactive fragment-like probes can discover target proteins that constitute novel cellular vulnerabilities and provide the chemical basis for drug discovery. However, the rational design of the fragment probe library, target prioritization, and sample throughput are still challenging. We applied a structurally diverse panel of BioCore fragments fully functionalized with orthogonal diazirine and alkyne moieties. These probes were used for protein crosslinking in live cells and subsequent target identification through label-free quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis. High-confidence targets were queried against a pharmacogenomic database (DepMap) and prioritized through multiple cross-comparison with other probes. The top-ranked probe-binding target was validated using a competitive affinity assay, an enzymatic activity assay, and RNA interference. Proteome-wide tyrosine reactivity was profiled using sulfur-triazole exchange chemistry (SuTEx). The tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins was investigated using a pY-100 antibody and western blotting. Using sotorasib-refractory KRAS G12C H1792 lung cancer cells, we identified 932 probe-enriched proteins from panel-wide cross-comparisons suggesting the high potential of exploring the ligandable proteome. We also performed intensive cross-comparison analysis and identified 31 unique high-confidence targets, with glutathione S-transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1) identified as a unique target of probe 17. We found that high expression of GSTZ1 was significantly associated with poorer NSCLC patient survival. Probe 17 was validated to physically bind to GSTZ1 and inhibit the enzymatic activity of GSTZ1. In addition, GSTZ1 gene knockdown sensitized drug-refractory NSCLC cells with KRAS G12C, FGFR1 amplification, and DDR2 mutation to clinical targeted drugs and induced more cell apoptosis in combination with these targeted drugs. SuTEx proteomics suggests modulation of drug resistance pathways leading to the identification of altered KRAS and FGFR1 tyrosine phosphorylation by GSTZ1, which provides a functional insight into the mechanism of drug sensitization. We developed a chemical biology workflow for the simultaneous discovery of high-confidence targets and their binding probe molecules, such as probe 17 and GSTZ1. GSTZ1 was found to cooperate with oncogenic alterations in supporting refractory NSCLC cell survival signaling, which may form the biological basis for developing novel GSTZ1 inhibitors to improve the therapeutic efficacy of oncogene-directed targeted drugs.

Citation Format: Yi Liao, Sean Chin Chan, Eric A. Welsh, Bin Fang, Luxin Sun, Ernst Schönbrunn, John M. Koomen, Derek R. Duckett, Eric B. Haura, Andrii Monastyrskyi, Uwe Rix. Discovery of GSTZ1 as a novel target for drug refractory non-small cell lung cancer by using fragment-based chemical proteomics. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3839.

Chemical Proteomics with Novel Fully Functionalized Fragments and Stringent Target Prioritization Identifies the Glutathione-Dependent Isomerase GSTZ1 as a Lung Cancer Target

Photoreactive fragment-like probes have been applied to discover target proteins that constitute novel cellular vulnerabilities and to identify viable chemical hits for drug discovery. Through forming covalent bonds, functionalized probes can achieve stronger target engagement and require less effort for on-target mechanism validation. However, the design of probe libraries, which directly affects the biological target space that is interrogated, and effective target prioritization remain critical challenges of such a chemical proteomic platform. In this study, we designed and synthesized a diverse panel of 20 fragment-based probes containing natural product-based privileged structural motifs for small-molecule lead discovery. These probes were fully functionalized with orthogonal diazirine and alkyne moieties and used for protein crosslinking in live lung cancer cells, target enrichment via "click chemistry," and subsequent target identification through label-free quantitative liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Pair-wise comparison with a blunted negative control probe and stringent prioritization via individual cross-comparisons against the entire panel identified glutathione S-transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1) as a specific and unique target candidate. DepMap database query, RNA interference-based gene silencing, and proteome-wide tyrosine reactivity profiling suggested that GSTZ1 cooperated with different oncogenic alterations by supporting survival signaling in refractory non-small cell lung cancer cells. This finding may form the basis for developing novel GSTZ1 inhibitors to improve the therapeutic efficacy of oncogene-directed targeted drugs. In summary, we designed a novel fragment-based probe panel and developed a target prioritization scheme with improved stringency, which allows for the identification of unique target candidates, such as GSTZ1 in refractory lung cancer.

Aminoalkoxycarbonyloxymethyl Ether Prodrugs with a pH-Triggered Release Mechanism: A Case Study Improving the Solubility, Bioavailability, and Efficacy of Antimalarial 4(1H)-Quinolones with Single Dose Cures

Preclinical and clinical development of numerous small molecules is prevented by their poor aqueous solubility, limited absorption, and oral bioavailability. Herein, we disclose a general prodrug approach that converts promising lead compounds into aminoalkoxycarbonyloxymethyl (amino AOCOM) ether-substituted analogues that display significantly improved aqueous solubility and enhanced oral bioavailability, restoring key requirements typical for drug candidate profiles. The prodrug is completely independent of biotransformations and animal-independent because it becomes an active compound via a pH-triggered intramolecular cyclization-elimination reaction. As a proof-of-concept, the utility of this novel amino AOCOM ether prodrug approach was demonstrated on an antimalarial compound series representing a variety of antimalarial 4(1H)-quinolones, which entered and failed preclinical development over the last decade. With the amino AOCOM ether prodrug moiety, the 3-aryl-4(1H)-quinolone preclinical candidate was shown to provide single-dose cures in a rodent malaria model at an oral dose of 3 mg/kg, without the use of an advanced formulation technique.

Targeting Casein Kinase 1 Delta Sensitizes Pancreatic and Bladder Cancer Cells to Gemcitabine Treatment by Upregulating Deoxycytidine Kinase

Although gemcitabine is the cornerstone of care for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), patients lack durable responses and relapse is inevitable. While the underlying mechanisms leading to gemcitabine resistance are likely to be multifactorial, there is a strong association between activating gemcitabine metabolism pathways and clinical outcome. This study evaluated casein kinase 1 delta (CK1δ) as a potential therapeutic target for PDA and bladder cancer, in which CK1δ is frequently overexpressed. We assessed the antitumor effects of genetically silencing or pharmacologically inhibiting CK1δ using our in-house CK1δ small-molecule inhibitor SR-3029, either alone or in combination with gemcitabine, on the proliferation and survival of pancreatic and bladder cancer cell lines and orthotopic mouse models. Genetic studies confirmed that silencing CK1δ or treatment with SR-3029 induced a significant upregulation of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), a rate-limiting enzyme in gemcitabine metabolite activation. The combination of SR-3029 with gemcitabine induced synergistic antiproliferative activity and enhanced apoptosis in both pancreatic and bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor model, we observed improved efficacy with combination treatment concomitant with increased dCK expression. This study demonstrates that CK1δ plays a role in gemcitabine metabolism, and that the combination of CK1δ inhibition with gemcitabine holds promise as a future therapeutic option for metastatic PDA as well as other cancers with upregulated CK1δ expression.

Therapeutic Targeting of CDK12/CDK13 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Epigenetic regulation enables tumors to respond to changing environments during tumor progression and metastases and facilitates treatment resistance. Targeting chromatin modifiers or catalytic effectors of transcription is an emerging anti-cancer strategy. The cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 12 and 13 phosphorylate the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, regulating transcription and co-transcriptional processes. Here we report the development of SR-4835, a highly selective dual inhibitor of CDK12 and CDK13, which disables triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Mechanistically, inhibition or loss of CDK12/CDK13 triggers intronic polyadenylation site cleavage that suppresses the expression of core DNA damage response proteins. This provokes a "BRCAness" phenotype that results in deficiencies in DNA damage repair, promoting synergy with DNA-damaging chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors.

Abstract 3051: Targeting cdk12/13 re-sensitizes trastuzumab resistant her2+ breast cancers

Overexpression or amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (erbB2), which encodes for a receptor tyrosine kinase often referred to as HER2, occurs in about 20% breast cancer patients and is associated with aggressive disease and poor clinical outcome. The anti-HER2 therapy trastuzumab (a monoclonal antibody targeting HER2) has proven highly effective, increasing relapse free and overall survival for HER2 positive breast cancer patients. Nevertheless, acquisition of therapeutic resistance occurs frequently in advance disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that HER2 co-amplified genes may play a role in mechanisms of disease resistance. Cyclin dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) is among the genes that have been reported to be amplified in addition to HER2, and thus we aimed to investigate whether targeting CDK12 could be exploited as a therapeutic target and enhance and/or restore sensitivity in HER2 positive inhibitor resistant models of breast cancer.

We have developed an in-house, highly selective, potent, and orally bioavailable CDK12/13 inhibitor, which effectively blocks proliferation and induces apoptosis in a panel of breast cancer cell lines and acts in synergy with trastuzumab in HER2 treatment resistant cell lines. Furthermore, our lead compound significantly slows tumor growth in trastuzumab resistant patient derived xenograft (PDX) models (as a single agent) and importantly, provokes greater efficacy in combination with trastuzumab. We are beginning to identify the signaling pathways underlying HER2 positive treatment resistance and how inhibition of CDK12/13 thwarts these resistance mechanisms. Accordingly, we anticipate that the development of CDK12/13 inhibitors holds promise as an anti-breast cancer strategy and future treatment option for HER2 positive breast cancer patients with recurrent disease.

Citation Format: Francesca Vena, Max Aceti, Simon Bayle, Victor Quereda, Andrii Monastyrskyi, William Roush, Derek Duckett. Targeting cdk12/13 re-sensitizes trastuzumab resistant her2+ breast cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3051.

Abstract P2-06-08: Withdrawn

This abstract was withdrawn by the authors.

Citation Format: Vena F, Bayle S, Quereda V, Monastyrskyi A, Duckett D. Withdrawn [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-06-08.

Abstract 950: New strategy to sensitize pancreatic and bladder cancer to gemcitabine

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the major histological subtype of pancreatic cancer displays few symptoms for early detection and the majority of PDAC patients are diagnosed with advanced or metastatic disease. PDAC patients with advanced disease lack durable responses to chemotherapy and have a dismal prognosis. Gemcitabine is the cornerstone of care for advanced and metastatic PDAC. While the underlying mechanisms leading to gemcitabine resistance are likely to be multifactorial, there is a strong association between activating gemcitabine metabolism pathways and clinical outcome. Accordingly, strategies that lead to upregulation of signaling pathways and enzymes involved in generating the active metabolite may lead to improved outcome in PDAC.

We have developed a potent, selective, small molecule inhibitor of casein kinase-1 delta (CK1δ) and demonstrated that inhibition of CK1δ activity specifically compromises the growth, survival and invasion of breast cancer cells that overexpress CK1δ. Notably, our lead compound, SR-3029 provokes pre-clinical tumor regression of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), including lung metastatic TNBC and basal-like PDX breast cancer models. We observed that CK1δ is upregulated in other cancers including bladder cancer and demonstrated that SR-3029 acts in synergy with DNA damaging cytotoxic agents. Notably, the combination of gemcitabine with SR-3029 resulted in synergistic antiproliferative activity and impaired colony formation in both pancreatic and bladder cancer cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrate that silencing CK1δ or inhibition of CK1δ activity by SR-3029 induces a significant upregulation of deoxycytidine kinase (DCK; rate limiting enzyme for gemcitabine activation) both at the RNA and protein levels, which results in increased cellular DCK and its active gemcitabine metabolite. We evaluated the effect of SR-3029 alone and in combination with gemcitabine in an orthotopic pancreatic tumor mouse model and observed much improved tumor growth inhibition with combination treatment, concomitant with increased expression of DCK.

In conclusion, our study suggests that CK1δ plays signaling roles in DNA metabolism and the combination of CK1δ inhibition with gemcitabine holds promise as a future therapeutic option for metastatic pancreatic cancer as well as other cancers.

Citation Format: Simon Bayle, Francesca Vena, Andrii Monastyrskyi, William Roush, Derek Duckett. New strategy to sensitize pancreatic and bladder cancer to gemcitabine [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 950.

Design and Synthesis of Orally Bioavailable Piperazine Substituted 4(1H)-Quinolones with Potent Antimalarial Activity: Structure-Activity and Structure-Property Relationship Studies

Malaria deaths have been decreasing over the last 10-15 years, with global mortality rates having fallen by 47% since 2000. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) to combat malaria, the emergence of artemisinin resistant strains underscores the need to develop new antimalarial drugs. Recent in vivo efficacy improvements of the historical antimalarial ICI 56,780 have been reported, however, with the poor solubility and rapid development of resistance, this compound requires further optimization. A series of piperazine-containing 4(1H)-quinolones with greatly enhanced solubility were developed utilizing structure-activity relationship (SAR) and structure-property relationship (SPR) studies. Furthermore, promising compounds were chosen for an in vivo scouting assay to narrow selection for testing in an in vivo Thompson test. Finally, two piperazine-containing 4(1H)-quinolones were curative in the conventional Thompson test and also displayed in vivo activity against the liver stages of the parasite.

Abstract B064: Therapeutic potential of CK1 delta inhibition in pancreatic and bladder cancer

Gemcitabine has potent antitumor activity in several human cancers and represents the standard of care for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Nevertheless, despite aggressive treatment, long-term survival in PDAC is rare. Identification of specific drivers of PDAC is required to instruct the development of more targeted therapeutics. Casein kinase 1 delta (CK1δ) and epsilon (CK1ϵ) are serine/threonine kinases that regulate key effectors involved in tumor proliferation and differentiation such as Wnt-ß-catenin axis, PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, and p53 function. Aberrant regulation of the Wnt and p53 pathways occurs frequently in PDAC. Additionally, increased CK1δ expression has been found in bladder cancer, where gemcitabine is also a standard of care. This prompted us to test the antitumor effects of SR-3029, a potent, dual CK1δ/ϵ inhibitor developed in our laboratories in pancreatic and bladder cancer cells, and assess whether the combination of SR-3029 with gemcitabine would result in therapeutic synergy. Inhibition of cell proliferation (EC50) by SR-3029, both as a single agent and in combination with gemcitabine, was tested on a panel of several pancreatic and bladder cancer cells. Potent inhibition of proliferation was observed in a dose- and time-dependent fashion and SR-3029 acted in synergy with gemcitabine, as quantified by the Chou Talalay method. As described in our previous breast cancer studies, shRNAs targeting CK1δ and SR-3029 were sufficient to block colony formation of PDAC and bladder cancer cells. Gemcitabine acts a deoxycytidine analogue, converted into its active metabolite by deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) enzyme through a series of phosphorylation steps. The phosphorylated form of gemcitabine ultimately adds into the DNA strand terminating synthesis. dCK overexpression in pancreatic and bladder cancer tissues is associated with gemcitabine chemosensitivity. Searching for possible mechanisms explaining the synergy between SR-3029 and gemcitabine, we found that, upon treatment with SR-3029 and CK1δ knockdown, both dCK RNA and protein expression increased, possibly sensitizing to the antitumor effects of gemcitabine. We finally expanded our results in vivo and we evaluated the effect of SR-3029 alone and in combination with gemcitabine in an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Consistently, we observed a significant increase of tumor growth delay after gemcitabine plus SR-3029 treatment compared to gemcitabine alone. Importantly, this antitumor effect was accompanied by an increase of dCK expression in the xenografts. In summary, we believe that CK1δ may be a clinically relevant target in both pancreatic and bladder cancer, and in this setting SR-3029 holds promise as a future therapeutic option.

Citation Format: Francesca Vena, Simon Bayle, Andrii Monastyrskyi, Derek Duckett, William Roush. Therapeutic potential of CK1 delta inhibition in pancreatic and bladder cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2017 Oct 26-30; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2018;17(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B064.

Development of dual casein kinase 1δ/1ε (CK1δ/ε) inhibitors for treatment of breast cancer

Casein kinase 1δ/ε have been identified as promising therapeutic target for oncology application, including breast and brain cancer. Here, we described our continued efforts in optimization of a lead series of purine scaffold inhibitors that led to identification of two new CK1δ/ε inhibitors 17 and 28 displaying low nanomolar values in antiproliferative assays against the human MDA-MB-231 triple negative breast cancer cell line and have physical, in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic properties suitable for use in proof of principle animal xenograft studies against human cancers.

Discovery of 2-arylquinazoline derivatives as a new class of ASK1 inhibitors

The development of a new series of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) inhibitors is described. Starting from purine, pyrimidine and quinazoline scaffolds identified by high throughput screening, we used tools of structure-based drug design to develop a series of potent kinase inhibitors, including 2-arylquinazoline derivatives 12 and 23, with submicromolar inhibitory activities against ASK1. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the 2-arylquinazoline scaffold ASK1 inhibitors described herein are ATP competitive.

Metal-free arylation of ethyl acetoacetate with hypervalent diaryliodonium salts: an immediate access to diverse 3-aryl-4(1H)-quinolones

A clean arylation protocol of ethyl acetoacetate was developed using hypervalent diaryliodonium salts under mild and metal-free conditions. The scope of the reaction, using symmetric and unsymmetric iodonium salts with varying sterics and electronics, was examined. Further, this method has been applied for the synthesis of antimalarial compound ELQ-300, which is currently in preclinical development.

Orally bioavailable 6-chloro-7-methoxy-4(1H)-quinolones efficacious against multiple stages of Plasmodium

The continued proliferation of malaria throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world has promoted a push for more efficacious treatments to combat the disease. Unfortunately, more recent remedies such as artemisinin combination therapies have been rendered less effective due to developing parasite resistance, and new drugs are required that target the parasite in the liver to support the disease elimination efforts. Research was initiated to revisit antimalarials developed in the 1940s and 1960s that were deemed unsuitable for use as therapeutic agents as a result of poor understanding of both physicochemical properties and parasitology. Structure–activity and structure–property relationship studies were conducted to generate a set of compounds with the general 6-chloro-7-methoxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-quinolone scaffold which were substituted at the 3-position with a variety of phenyl moieties possessing various properties. Extensive physicochemical evaluation of the quinolone series was carried out to downselect the most promising 4(1H)-quinolones, 7, 62, 66, and 67, which possessed low-nanomolar EC₅₀ values against W2 and TM90-C2B as well as improved microsomal stability. Additionally, in vivo Thompson test results using Plasmodium berghei in mice showed that these 4(1H)-quinolones were efficacious for the reduction of parasitemia at >99% after 6 days.

4(1H)-pyridone and 4(1H)-quinolone derivatives as antimalarials with erythrocytic, exoerythrocytic, and transmission blocking activities

Infectious diseases are the second leading cause of deaths in the world with malaria being responsible for approximately the same amount of deaths as cancer in 2012. Despite the success in malaria prevention and control measures decreasing the disease mortality rate by 45% since 2000, the development of single-dose therapeutics with radical cure potential is required to completely eradicate this deadly condition. Targeting multiple stages of the malaria parasite is becoming a primary requirement for new candidates in antimalarial drug discovery and development. Recently, 4(1H)- pyridone, 4(1H)-quinolone, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridone, and phenoxyethoxy-4(1H)-quinolone chemotypes have been shown to be antimalarials with blood stage activity, liver stage activity, and transmission blocking activity. Advancements in structure-activity relationship and structure-property relationship studies, biological evaluation in vitro and in vivo, as well as pharmacokinetics of the 4(1H)-pyridone and 4(1H)-quinolone chemotypes are discussed.

4(1H)-Quinolones with liver stage activity against Plasmodium berghei

With the exception of primaquine, tafenoquine, and atovaquone, there are very few antimalarials that target liver stage parasites. In this study, a transgenic Plasmodium berghei parasite (1052Cl1; PbGFP-Luc(con)) that expresses luciferase was used to assess the anti-liver stage parasite activity of ICI 56,780, a 7-(2-phenoxyethoxy)-4(1H)-quinolone (PEQ), as well as two 3-phenyl-4(1H)-quinolones (P4Q), P4Q-146 and P4Q-158, by using bioluminescent imaging (BLI). Results showed that all of the compounds were active against liver stage parasites; however, ICI 56,780 and P4Q-158 were the most active, with low nanomolar activity in vitro and causal prophylactic activity in vivo. This potent activity makes these compounds ideal candidates for advancement as novel antimalarials.