Yiming Sun

Discovery of potent N-(isoxazol-5-yl)amides as HSP90 inhibitors.

HSP90 is ubiquitously overexpressed in a broad spectrum of human cancers and has been recognized as an attractive target for cancer treatment. Here, we described the fragment screening, synthesis and structure-activity relationship studies of small molecule inhibitors with 4,5-diarylisoxazole scaffold targeting HSP90. Among them, the compound N-(3-(2,4-dihydroxy-5-isopropylphenyl)-4-(4-((4-morpholinopiperidin-1-yl)methyl)phenyl)isoxazol-5-yl)cyclopropanecarboxamide (108) showed high affinity for binding to HSP90 (FP binding assay, IC50 = 0.030 μM) and inhibited the proliferation of various human cancer cell lines with averaging GI50 about 88 nM. Compound 108 exhibited its functional inhibition of HSP90 by depleting key signaling pathways and concomitantly elevating of HSP70 and HSP27 in U-87MG cells. Further in vivo studies showed that compound 108 strongly suppressed the tumor growth of human glioblastoma xenograft model U-87MG with T/C = 18.35% at 50 mg/kg q3w/2.5w. Moreover, compound 108 also exhibited good pharmacokinetic properties. Together, our study implicates that compound 108 is a promising candidate of HSP90 inhibitor and is currently advanced to preclinical study.

Discovery of Substituted 1H-Pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine Derivatives as Potent and Selective FGFR Kinase Inhibitors

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are important targets for cancer therapy. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a novel series of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives as potent and selective FGFR kinase inhibitors. On the basis of its excellent in vitro potency and favorable pharmacokinetic properties, compound 7n was selected for in vivo evaluation and showed significant antitumor activity in a FGFR1-driven H1581 xenograft model. These results indicated that 7n would be a promising candidate for further drug development.

Novel PARP1/2 inhibitor mefuparib hydrochloride elicits potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity, characteristic of high tissue distribution.

The approval of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor AZD2281 in 2014 marked the successful establishment of the therapeutic strategy targeting homologous recombination repair defects of cancers in the clinic. However, AZD2281 has poor water solubility, low tissue distribution and relatively weak in vivo anticancer activity, which appears to become limiting factors for its clinical use. In this study, we found that mefuparib hydrochloride (MPH) was a potent PARP inhibitor, possessing prominent in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity. Notably, MPH displayed high water solubility (> 35 mg/ml) and potent PARP1/2 inhibition in a substrate-competitive manner. It reduced poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) formation, enhanced γH2AX levels, induced G2/M arrest and subsequent apoptosis in homologous recombination repair (HR)-deficient cells. Proof-of-concept studies confirmed the MPH-caused synthetic lethality. MPH showed potent in vitro and in vivo proliferation and growth inhibition against HR-deficient cancer cells and synergistic sensitization of HR-proficient xenografts to the anticancer drug temozolomide. A good relationship between the anticancer activity and the PARP inhibition of MPH suggested that PAR formation and γH2AX accumulation could serve as its pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Its high bioavailability (40%~100%) and high tissue distribution in both monkeys and rats were its most important pharmacokinetic features. Its average concentrations were 33-fold higher in the tissues than in the plasma in rats. Our work supports the further clinical development of MPH as a novel PARP1/2 inhibitor for cancer therapy.

Combining 53BP1 with BRCA1 as a biomarker to predict the sensitivity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors

Over half of patients with BRCA1-deficient cancers do not respond to treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In this study, we report that a combination of 53BP1 and BRCA1 may serve as a biomarker of PARP inhibitor sensitivity. Based on the mRNA levels of four homologous recombination repair (HR) genes and PARP inhibitor sensitivity, we selected BRCA1-deficient MDA-MB-436 cells to conduct RNA interference. Reducing expression of 53BP1, but not the other three HR genes, was found to lower simmiparib sensitivity. Additionally, we generated 53BP1−/−/BRCA1−/− clonal variants by the transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) technique and found that depleting 53BP1 impaired PARP inhibitor sensitivity with a 36.7-fold increase in their IC50 values. Consistent with its effect on PARP inhibitor sensitivity, 53BP1 loss alleviated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and partially restored HR function. Importantly, 53BP1 depletion dramatically reduced the ability of PARP inhibitors to suppress tumor growth in vivo. The inhibition rate of simmiparib was 74.16% for BRCA1-deficient MDA-MB-436 xenografts, but only 7.79% for 53BP1/BRCA1-deficient xenografts. Re-expressing 53BP1 in the dual-deficient cells restored PARP inhibitor sensitivity and the levels of HR regulators. Considering that at least 10% of BRCA1-deficient breast and ovarian cancers have reduced expression of 53BP1, using a combination of 53BP1 with BRCA1 as a biomarker for patient selection should reduce the number of patients undergoing futile treatment with PARP inhibitors.

Pyridazinone derivatives displaying highly potent and selective inhibitory activities against c-Met tyrosine kinase.

Over activation of c-Met tyrosine kinase is known to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis, as well as to cause therapeutic resistance. Herein we describe the design, synthesis and biological activities of novel, ATP-competitive, c-Met tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are members of the 6-aryl-2-(3-(heteroarylamino)benzyl)pyridazinone family. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of these substances led to identification of pyridazinone 19 as a highly selective and potent c-Met tyrosine inhibitor, which displays favorable pharmacokinetic properties in mice and significant antitumor activity against a c-Met driven EBC-1 tumor xenograft.

DW10075, a novel selective and small-molecule inhibitor of VEGFR, exhibits antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo

Aim:Targeting the VEGF/VEGF receptor (VEGFR) pathway has proved to be an effective antiangiogenic approach for cancer treatment. Here, we identified 6-((2-((3-acetamidophenyl)amino)pyrimidin-4-yl)oxy)-N-phenyl-1-naphthamide (designated herein as DW10075) as a novel and highly selective inhibitor of VEGFRs.Methods:In vitro tyrosine kinase activity was measured using ELISA, and intracellular signaling pathway proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. Endothelial cell proliferation was examined with CCK-8 assays, and tumor cell proliferation was determined with SRB assays. Cell migration, tube formation and rat aortic ring assays were used to detect antiangiogenic activity. Antitumor efficacy was further evaluated in U87-MG human glioblastoma xenograft tumors in nude mice receiving DW10075 (500 mg·kg−1·d−1, po) for two weeks.Results:Among a panel of 21 kinases tested, DW10075 selectively inhibited VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 (the IC50 values were 6.4, 0.69 and 5.5 nmol/L, respectively), but did not affect 18 other kinases including FGFR and PDGFR at 10 μmol/L. DW10075 significantly blocked VEGF-induced activation of VEGFR and its downstream signaling transduction in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), thus inhibited VEGF-induced HUVEC proliferation. DW10075 (1–100 nmol/L) dose-dependently inhibited VEGF-induced HUVEC migration and tube formation and suppressed angiogenesis in both the rat aortic ring model and the chicken chorioallantoic membrane model. Furthermore, DW10075 exhibited anti-proliferative activity against 22 different human cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 2.2 μmol/L (for U87-MG human glioblastoma cells) to 22.2 μmol/L (for A375 melanoma cells). In U87-MG xenograft tumors in nude mice, oral administration of DW10075 significantly suppressed tumor growth, and reduced the expression of CD31 and Ki67 in the tumor tissues.Conclusion:DW10075 is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of VEGFR that deserves further development.

Preclinical Evaluation of SCC244 (Glumetinib), a Novel, Potent, and Highly Selective Inhibitor of c-Met in MET-dependent Cancer Models

Because the receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met plays a critical role in tumor growth, metastasis, tumor angiogenesis, and drug resistance, the c-Met axis represents an attractive therapeutic target. Herein, we report the first preclinical characterization of SCC244, a novel, potent, and highly selective inhibitor of c-Met kinase. SCC244 showed subnanomolar potency against c-Met kinase activity and high selectivity versus 312 other tested protein kinases, making it one of the most selective c-Met inhibitors described to date. Moreover, this inhibitor profoundly and specifically inhibits c-Met signal transduction and thereby suppresses the c-Met–dependent neoplastic phenotype of tumor and endothelial cells. In xenografts of human tumor cell lines or non–small cell lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma patient-derived tumor tissue driven by MET aberration, SCC244 administration exhibits robust antitumor activity at the well-tolerated doses. In addition, the in vivo antitumor activity of SCC244 involves the inhibition of c-Met downstream signaling via a mechanism of combined antiproliferation and antiangiogenic effects. The results of the current study provide a strong foundation for the clinical investigation of SCC244 in patients with tumors harboring c-Met pathway alterations. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(4); 751–62. ©2017 AACR.

Evaluation of Deuterium-Labeled JNJ38877605: Pharmacokinetic, Metabolic, and in Vivo Antitumor Profiles

c-Met inhibitor JNJ38877605 has proven curative as an antitumor agent, while its clinical study was terminated due to renal toxicity. It was reported that the renal toxicity was caused by the poor solubility of its aldehyde oxidase (AO) metabolites. Therefore, blocking AO oxidation of JNJ38877605 might diminish the toxic metabolites and overcome the renal toxicity. Compound 3, the AO metabolic site deuterated JNJ38877605, was then synthesized as the target molecule. In vitro monkey liver S9 fraction incubation of 3 manifested that the renal toxic metabolite M2-2 was significantly reduced, which connoted that this deuteration has partly blocked AO oxidation. After po. nasal gavage to cynomolgus monkeys, compound 3 revealed decreased AO metabolites M2-2 and M3-2 in the plasma as well as 1.88-fold AUC and 1.56-fold Cmax compared with JNJ38877605, indicating that deuterium replacement significantly blocked AO metabolism in vivo. Besides, metabolic profiles of 3 were investigated by analysis of the plasma and the urine of the po. administrated cynomolgus monkeys. Moreover, after oral administration to the EBC-1 tumor-bearing nude mice, compound 3 exhibited a better antitumor efficacy than JNJ38877605. In conclusion, deuteration on the AO metabolic site of JNJ38877605 improved its AO metabolism, oral exposure, as well as in vivo antitumor efficacy.

Decrease in phosphorylated ERK indicates the therapeutic efficacy of a clinical PI3Kα-selective inhibitor CYH33 in breast cancer

PI3Ks are frequently hyper-activated in breast cancer and targeting PI3Kα has exhibited promising but variable response in preclinical and clinical settings. CYH33 is a novel PI3Kα-selective inhibitor in phase I clinical trial. We investigated the efficacy of CYH33 against breast cancer and explored potential predictive biomarkers. CYH33 potently restrained tumor growth in mice bearing human breast cancer cell xenografts and in R26-Pik3caH1047R;MMTV-Cre transgenic mice. CYH33 significantly inhibited proliferation of a panel of human breast cancer cells, while diversity in sensitivity has been observed. Cells harboring activating PIK3CA mutation, amplified HER2 were more responsive to CYH33 than their counterparts. Besides, cells in HER2-enriched or luminal subtype were more sensitive to CYH33 than basal-like breast cancer. Sensitivity to CYH33 has been further revealed to be associated with induction of G1 phase arrest and simultaneous inhibition of Akt and ERK. Sensitivity of patient-derived xenograft to CYH33 was also positively correlated with decrease in phosphorylated ERK. Taken together, CYH33 is a promising PI3Kα inhibitor for breast cancer treatment and decrease in ERK phosphorylation may indicate its efficacy, which provides useful clues for rational design of the ongoing clinical trials.

Integration of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases Determines Sensitivity to PI3Kα-selective Inhibitors in Breast Cancer

PI3Kα-selective inhibitor BYL719 is currently in phase II/III clinical trial for the treatment of breast cancer, but highly variable response has been observed among patients. We sought to discover predictive biomarker for the efficacy of BYL719 by dissecting the proliferative signaling pathway mediated by PI3K in breast cancer. BYL719 concurrently inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK in PIK3CA-mutated human breast cancer cells. PI3K-regulated ERK phosphorylation was independent of canonical PDK1/AKT/mTOR pathway, while it was associated with RAF/MEK. Hyper-activation of EGFR or RAS abrogated inhibition of ERK phosphorylation by BYL719. Furthermore, hyper-activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) including EGFR, c-MET, FGFR and HER3 but not IGF-1R restored ERK phosphorylation and cell viability suppressed by BYL719, suggesting the discriminative functions of RTKs in cell signaling and proliferation. By profiling 22 breast cancer cell lines, we found that BYL719 was more potent in cell lines where phosphorylation of both AKT and ERK was attenuated than those where only AKT phosphorylation was inhibited. The potency of BYL719 was further found to be significantly correlated with the expression profile of RTKs in breast cancer cells. Specifically, overexpression of EGFR, c-MET and/or FGFR1 forecasted resistance, while overexpression of IGF-1R and/or HER2 predicted sensitivity to BYL719 in breast cancer cells. Similar correlation between BYL719 efficacy and expression profile of RTKs was found in patient-derived xenograft models of breast cancer. Thus, inhibition of ERK phosphorylation by PI3Kα inhibitor BYL719 contributes to its antitumor efficacy and is determined by the converged signaling from RTKs. The expression profile of RTKs in breast cancer tissue could be potentially developed as a predictive biomarker for the efficacy of PI3Kα inhibitors.