Structure-Based Discovery of MDM2/4 Dual Inhibitors that Exert Antitumor Activities against MDM4-Overexpressing Cancer Cells

J Med Chem. 2022 Apr 28;65(8):6207-6230. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00095. Epub 2022 Apr 14.

Abstract

Despite recent clinical progress in peptide-based dual inhibitors of MDM2/4, small-molecule ones with robust antitumor activities remain challenging. To tackle this issue, 31 (YL93) was structure-based designed and synthesized, which had MDM2/4 binding Ki values of 1.1 and 642 nM, respectively. In three MDM4-overexpressing cancer cell lines harboring wild-type p53, 31 shows improved cell growth inhibition activities compared to RG7388, an MDM2-selective inhibitor in late-stage clinical trials. Mechanistic studies show that 31 increased cellular protein levels of p53 and p21 and upregulated the expression of p53-targeted genes in RKO cells with MDM4 amplification. In addition, 31 induced cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in western blot and flow cytometry assays. Taken together, dual inhibition of MDM2/4 by 31 elicited stronger antitumor activities in vitro compared to selective MDM2 inhibitors in wild-type p53 and MDM4-overexpressing cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2