Adenosine A2A Receptor Antagonists for Cancer Immunotherapy

J Med Chem. 2020 Nov 12;63(21):12196-12212. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00237. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Abstract

Currently, the most promising therapeutic modality for cancer treatment is the blockade of immune checkpoint pathways, which has revolutionized cancer therapy in the past 15 years. Strategies targeting and modulating adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), an emerging alternative immune checkpoint, have shown the potential to produce significant therapeutic effects. In this review, we describe the immunosuppressive activities of A2AR and A2BR in the tumor microenvironment (TME), followed by a summary and discussion of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the A2AR (and dual A2AR/A2BR) antagonists that have been experimentally confirmed to exert oncoimmunological effects. This review also provides an update on the compounds under clinical evaluation and insights into the ligand binding modes of the receptor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists / chemistry*
  • Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A / chemistry
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A / metabolism
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2B / chemistry
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2B / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology
  • Small Molecule Libraries / therapeutic use
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tumor Microenvironment

Substances

  • Adenosine A2 Receptor Antagonists
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2A
  • Receptor, Adenosine A2B
  • Small Molecule Libraries