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Skalniak L, Zak KM, Guzik K, Magiera K, Musielak B, Pachota M, Szelazek B, Kocik J, Grudnik P, Tomala M, Krzanik S, Pyrc K, Dömling A, Dubin G, Holak TA. Small-molecule inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint alleviate the PD-L1-induced exhaustion of T-cells. Oncotarget 2017; 8:72167-72181. [PMID: 29069777 PMCID: PMC5641120 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint achieved spectacular success in anticancer therapy in the recent years. In contrast, no small molecules with cellular activity have been reported so far. Here we provide evidence that small molecules are capable of alleviating the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint-mediated exhaustion of Jurkat T-lymphocytes. The two optimized small-molecule inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, BMS-1001 and BMS-1166, developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, bind to human PD-L1 and block its interaction with PD-1, when tested on isolated proteins. The compounds present low toxicity towards tested cell lines and block the interaction of soluble PD-L1 with the cell surface-expressed PD-1. As a result, BMS-1001 and BMS-1166 alleviate the inhibitory effect of the soluble PD-L1 on the T-cell receptor-mediated activation of T-lymphocytes. Moreover, the compounds were effective in attenuating the inhibitory effect of the cell surface-associated PD-L1. We also determined the X-ray structures of the complexes of BMS-1001 and BMS-1166 with PD-L1, which revealed features that may be responsible for increased potency of the compounds compared to their predecessors. Further development may lead to the design of an anticancer therapy based on the orally delivered immune checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof M Zak
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Guzik
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Magiera
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Pachota
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Bozena Szelazek
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Justyna Kocik
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Grudnik
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Marcin Tomala
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Sylwia Krzanik
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Pyrc
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Alexander Dömling
- Department of Drug Design, University of Groningen, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Grzegorz Dubin
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland.,Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
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