Abstract B33: Targeting PI3K/mTOR signaling with potent, selective and orally-available small-molecule inhibitors of eIF4E

Aberrant protein translation plays a role in the pathogenesis of multiple solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The translation initiation factor eIF4E is essential for the translation of m7G-capped mRNA and is a key point of convergence for several signaling pathways, such as PI3K/mTOR and MAPK, which are intimately involved in tumor cell growth and survival. As such, eIF4E has generated intense interest as a target for anticancer drug discovery. We have designed a series of potent, selective, and orally available m7G cap-competitive inhibitors of eIF4E (eFT-4Ei) with favorable drug-like properties. These inhibitors bind free eIF4E, eIF4E-4EBP and eIF4E-eIF4F complexes within tumor cells. Ribosomal profiling of eIF4E inhibitor-treated tumor cells has identified a subset of translationally regulated target genes that overlap with mTORC1/2 regulated genes, but also include a larger set of unique translationally regulated target mRNAs that are enriched for 5'-TOP, PRTE and CERT sequence elements in their 5'-untranslated regions. eIF4E inhibition results in potent antiproliferative activity and induction of apoptosis in a subset of tumor cell lines. Consistent with this observation, our eIF4E inhibitors show some similarities, yet several important differences from existing mTORC1 or mTORC1/2 dual inhibitors in both cellular and physiologic assays. Finally, significant antitumor efficacy was observed with eIF4E inhibition in both solid tumor and hematologic xenografts in vivo. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of targeting eIF4E as a novel and differentiated therapeutic strategy to treat cancer.

Citation Format: Gregory S. Parker, Ivy N.J. Hung, Jocelyn Staunton, Maria Barrera, Eric Sung, Ana Parra, Craig R. Stumpf, Joan Chen, Peggy A. Thompson, Andreas Nevarez, Christopher J. Wegerski, Jeff Clarine, Samuel Sperry, Alan Xiang, Christian Nilewski, Garrick K. Packard, Kaveri Urklalan, Takasuke Mukaiyama, Theo Michels, Justin T. Ernst, Paul A. Sprengeler, Siegfried H. Reich, Gary G. Chiang, Kevin R. Webster. Targeting PI3K/mTOR signaling with potent, selective and orally-available small-molecule inhibitors of eIF4E [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Targeting PI3K/mTOR Signaling; 2018 Nov 30-Dec 8; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(10_Suppl):Abstract nr B33.