Frankie Lam

Substituted 4-(thiazol-5-yl)-2-(phenylamino)pyrimidines are highly active CDK9 inhibitors: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, structure-activity relationship, and anticancer activities.

Cancer cells often have a high demand for antiapoptotic proteins in order to resist programmed cell death. CDK9 inhibition selectively targets survival proteins and reinstates apoptosis in cancer cells. We designed a series of 4-thiazol-2-anilinopyrimidine derivatives with functional groups attached to the C5-position of the pyrimidine or to the C4-thiazol moiety and investigated their effects on CDK9 potency and selectivity. One of the most selective compounds, 12u inhibits CDK9 with IC50 = 7 nM and shows over 80-fold selectivity for CDK9 versus CDK2. X-ray crystal structures of 12u bound to CDK9 and CDK2 provide insights into the binding modes. This work, together with crystal structures of selected inhibitors in complex with both enzymes described in a companion paper,34 provides a rationale for the observed SAR. 12u demonstrates potent anticancer activity against primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells with a therapeutic window 31- and 107-fold over those of normal B- and T-cells.

CDKI-71, a novel CDK9 inhibitor, is preferentially cytotoxic to cancer cells compared to flavopiridol

Cancer cells appear to depend heavily on antiapoptotic proteins for survival and so targeted inhibition of these proteins has therapeutic potential. One innovative strategy is to inhibit the cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) responsible for the regulation of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). In our study, we investigated the detailed cellular mechanism of a novel small‐molecule CDK inhibitor (CDKI‐71) in cancer cell lines, primary leukemia cells, normal B ‐ & T‐ cells, and embryonic lung fibroblasts and compared the cellular and molecular responses to the clinical CDK inhibitor, flavopiridol. Like flavopiridol, CDKI‐71 displayed potent cytotoxicity and caspase‐dependent apoptosis induction that were closely associated with the inhibition of RNAPII phosphorylation at serine‐2. This was caused by effective targeting of cyclinT–CDK9 and resulted in the downstream inhibition of Mcl‐1. No correlation between apoptosis and inhibition of cell‐cycle CDKs 1 and 2 was observed. CDKI‐71 showed a 10‐fold increase in potency in tumor cell lines when compared to MRC‐5 human fibroblast cells. Significantly, CDKI‐71 also demonstrated potent anti‐chronic lymphocytic leukemia activity with minimal toxicity in normal B‐ and T‐cells. In contrast, flavopiridol showed little selectivity between cancer and normal cells. Here, we provide the first cell‐based evidence that flavopiridol induces DNA double‐strand breaks: a fact which may explain why flavopiridol has such a narrow therapeutic window in preclinical and clinical settings. Taken together, our data provide a rationale for the development of selective CDK inhibitors as therapeutic agents and CDKI‐71 represents a promising lead in this context.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine and 4-heteroaryl-pyrimidine derivatives as anti-cancer agents.

A series of N-phenyl-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-amines, 4-indazolyl-N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amines and N-phenyl-4-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridin-pyrimidin-2-amines have been synthesized. Their anti-proliferative activities were tested in HCT-116 human colon carcinoma and MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell lines. Many exhibited potent anti-proliferative and CDK9 inhibitory activities. A lead compound 18b demonstrated the ability to reduce the level of Mcl-1 anti-apoptotic protein, to activate caspase 3/7 and induce cancer cell apoptosis.

Discovery of 5‐(2‐(Phenylamino)pyrimidin‐4‐yl)thiazol‐2(3H)‐one Derivatives as Potent Mnk2 Inhibitors: Synthesis, SAR Analysis and Biological Evaluation

Phosphorylation of eIF4E by human mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)‐interacting kinases (Mnks) is crucial for human tumourigenesis and development. Targeting Mnks may provide a novel anticancer therapeutic strategy. However, the lack of selective Mnk inhibitors has so far hampered pharmacological target validation and clinical drug development. Herein, we report, for the first time, the discovery of a series of 5‐(2‐(phenylamino)pyrimidin‐4‐yl)thiazole‐2(3H)‐one derivatives as Mnk inhibitors. Several derivatives demonstrate very potent Mnk2 inhibitory activity. The most active and selective compounds were tested against a panel of cancer cell lines, and the results confirm the cell‐type‐specific effect of these Mnk inhibitors. Detailed cellular mechanistic studies reveal that Mnk inhibitors are capable of reducing the expression level of anti‐apoptotic protein Mcl‐1, and of promoting apoptosis in MV4‐11 acute myeloid leukaemia cells.

Perception of various performance criteria by stakeholders in the construction sector in Hong Kong

All construction projects in Hong Kong have in common a cast of key contract participants, consisting of clients, consultants (designers) and contractors. The aim of this research is to examine, from different points of view, these practitioners in regard to the importance of perceived performance criteria and their respective performance outcomes in a construction project. A research model is structured based on nine performance criteria and their respective performances. The data were collected from 324 practitioners who have participated in construction projects in Hong Kong. One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and repeated measures ANOVA are used to analyse the data. The relative importance of nine performance criteria and their performances are measured. Timely completion of the project is the most important performance criterion, followed by profit, environmental protection and quality. There are differences in the importance of the performance criteria with respect to performance. The differences in the perceptions of performance that are identified are: (i) among different practitioners in a construction project; (ii) due to different project types; and (iii) between different functional roles in the partnering organizations. In order to further understand the importance of the performance criteria with respect to performance, the status quo of project partnering and congeniality problems in the construction industry is reviewed. It is intended to stimulate interest in the further exploration of solutions to improve the overall performance of the construction industry in Hong Kong.

Pharmacologic co-inhibition of Mnks and mTORC1 synergistically suppresses proliferation and perturbs cell cycle progression in blast crisis-chronic myeloid leukemia cells

The Ras/Raf/MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 cascades are two most aberrantly regulated pathways in cancers. As MAPK-interacting kinases (Mnks) are part of the convergent node of these two pathways, and play a pivotal role in cellular transformation, targeting Mnks has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy. Herein, a dual-specific Mnk1/2 inhibitor MNKI-57 and a potent Mnk2-specific inhibitor MNKI-4 were selected for a panel screen against 28 human cancer cell lines. The study reveals that MNKI-57 and MNKI-4 are most potent against leukemia cells KYO-1 (i.e. BC-CML) and KG-1 (i.e. AML). Interestingly, we found that sensitivity of selected leukemia cells to Mnk inhibitors is correlated with the level of phosphorylated 4E-BP1 at Thr70. The anti-proliferative effects of Mnk inhibitors are cytostatic in the sensitive KYO-1 cells, inducing significant G1 arrest via down-regulation of cyclin D1 expression. In KYO-1 cells where Akt is not constitutively active, Mnk inhibitors increase the sensitivity of cells to rapamycin, resulting in a more pronounced anti-proliferative activity. Remarkably, the synergistic anti-proliferative effects are associated with a marked de-phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 at Thr70. Collectively, these data highlight the importance of 4E-BP1 as a key integrator in the MAPK and mTORC1 cascades, and suggest that a combined pharmacologic inhibition of mTORC1 and Mnk kinases offers an innovative therapeutic opportunity in BC-CML.

Synthesis, structure-activity relationship and biological evaluation of 2,4,5-trisubstituted pyrimidine CDK inhibitors as potential anti-tumour agents.

A series of 2,4,5-trisubstituted pyrimidines have been synthesised and characterised, which exhibited potent CDK inhibition and anti-proliferative activities. The structure-activity relationship is analysed and a rational for CDK9 selectivity is discussed. Compound 9s, possessing appreciable selectivity for CDK9 over other CDKs, is capable of activating caspase 3, reducing the level of Mcl-1 anti-apoptotic protein, and inducing cancer cell apoptosis.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of benzyl styrylsulfonyl derivatives as potent anticancer mitotic inhibitors

We herein report the synthesis, biological activity and structure activity relationship of derivatives of benzylstyrylsulfone, benzylstyrylsulfine and benzylsulfonyl-N-phenylacetamide. A lead compound 7 represents a new class of mitotic inhibitors that demonstrates potent anti-proliferative activity and selectively induces cancer cell apoptosis while sparing non-transformed lung fibroblast.

Pharmacologic Inhibition of MNKs in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The Ras/Raf/MAPK and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways are key signaling cascades involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and survival, and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several types of cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The oncogenic activity of eIF4E driven by the Mnk kinases is a convergent determinant of the two cascades, suggesting that targeting the Mnk/eIF4E axis may provide therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of cancer. Herein, a potent and selective Mnk2 inhibitor (MNKI-85) and a dual-specific Mnk1 and Mnk2 inhibitor (MNKI-19), both derived from a thienopyrimidinyl chemotype, were selected to explore their antileukemic properties. MNKI-19 and MNKI-85 are effective in inhibiting the growth of AML cells that possess an M5 subtype with FLT3-internal tandem duplication mutation. Further mechanistic studies show that the downstream effects with respect to the selective Mnk1/2 kinase inhibition in AML cells causes G1 cell cycle arrest followed by induction of apoptosis. MNKI-19 and MNKI-85 demonstrate similar Mnk2 kinase activity and cellular antiproliferative activity but exhibit different time-dependent effects on cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Collectively, this study shows that pharmacologic inhibition of both Mnk1 and Mnk2 can result in a more pronounced cellular response than targeting Mnk2 alone. However, MNKI-85, a first-in-class inhibitor of Mnk2, can be used as a powerful pharmacologic tool in studying the Mnk2/eIF4E-mediated tumorigenic mechanism. In conclusion, this study provides a better understanding of the mechanism underlying the inhibition of AML cell growth by Mnk inhibitors and suggests their potential utility as a therapeutic agent for AML.

Discovery of (E)-3-((styrylsulfonyl)methyl)pyridine and (E)-2-((styrylsulfonyl)methyl)pyridine derivatives as anticancer agents: synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and biological activities.

ON01910.Na is a highly effective anticancer agent that induces mitotic arrest and apoptosis. Clinical studies with ON01910 in cancer patients have shown efficacy along with an impressive safety profile. While ON01910 is highly active against cancer cells, it has a low oral availability and requires continuous intravenous infusion or multiple gram doses to ensure sufficient drug exposure for biological activity in patients. We have identified two novel series of styrylsulfonyl-methylpyridines. Lead compounds 8, 9a, 18 and 19a are highly potent mitotic inhibitors and selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells. Impressively, these compounds possess excellent pharmaceutical properties and two lead drug candidates 9a and 18 demonstrated antitumor activities in animal models.