Rational Design and Evaluation of 6-(Pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2(1 H)-ones as Polypharmacological Inhibitors of BET and Kinases

J Med Chem. 2020 Sep 10;63(17):9787-9802. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00962. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Abstract

Cancer exhibits diverse heterogeneity with a complicated molecular basis that usually harbors genetic and epigenetic abnormality, which poses a big challenge for single-target agents. In the current work, we proposed a hybrid strategy by incorporating pharmacophores that bind to the acetylated lysine binding pocket of BET proteins with a typical kinase hinge binder to generate novel polypharmacological inhibitors of BET and kinases. Through elaborating the core structure of 6-(pyrimidin-2-ylamino)-3,4-dihydroquinoxalin-2(1H)-one, we demonstrated that this rational design can produce high potent inhibitors of CDK9 and BET proteins. In this series, compound 40 was identified as the potential lead compound with balanced activities of BRD4 (IC50 = 12.7 nM) and CDK9 (IC50 = 22.4 nM), as well as good antiproliferative activities on a small cancer cell panel. Together, the current study provided a new method for the discovery of bromodomain and kinase dual inhibitors rather than only being discovered by serendipity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Domains
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacokinetics
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Quinoxalines / chemistry*
  • Quinoxalines / pharmacokinetics
  • Quinoxalines / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • BRD4 protein, human
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Quinoxalines
  • Transcription Factors
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9