Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase is the anticancer target for a novel series of potent naphthoquinone-based inhibitors

J Med Chem. 2008 Mar 27;51(6):1706-18. doi: 10.1021/jm7014155. Epub 2008 Mar 5.

Abstract

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is emerging as an important new therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer, chronic viral infections, and other diseases characterized by pathological immune suppression. While small molecule inhibitors of IDO exist, there remains a dearth of high-potency compounds offering in vivo efficacy and clinical translational potential. In this study, we address this gap by defining a new class of naphthoquinone-based IDO inhibitors exemplified by the natural product menadione, which is shown in mouse tumor models to have similar antitumor activity to previously characterized IDO inhibitors. Genetic validation that IDO is the critical in vivo target is demonstrated using IDO-null mice. Elaboration of menadione to a pyranonaphthoquinone has yielded low nanomolar potency inhibitors, including new compounds which are the most potent reported to date (K(i) = 61-70 nM). Synthetic accessibility of this class will facilitate preclinical chemical-genetic studies as well as further optimization of pharmacological parameters for clinical translation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Computer Simulation
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Nude
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Naphthoquinones / chemical synthesis
  • Naphthoquinones / chemistry
  • Naphthoquinones / pharmacology*
  • Pyrones / chemistry
  • Pyrones / pharmacology
  • Stereoisomerism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Vitamin K 3 / chemistry
  • Vitamin K 3 / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
  • Naphthoquinones
  • Pyrones
  • annulin B
  • Vitamin K 3