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ID: ALA1147934
Journal: Bioorg Med Chem Lett
Title: Discovery of a novel small molecule binding site of human survivin.
Authors: Wendt MD, Sun C, Kunzer A, Sauer D, Sarris K, Hoff E, Yu L, Nettesheim DG, Chen J, Jin S, Comess KM, Fan Y, Anderson SN, Isaac B, Olejniczak ET, Hajduk PJ, Rosenberg SH, Elmore SW.
Abstract: Survivin is one of the most tumor-specific genes in the human genome and is an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, small-molecule ligands for survivin have not yet been described. Thus, an interrogation of survivin which could potentially both validate a small-molecule therapy approach, and determine the biochemical nature of any of survivin's functions has not been possible. Here we describe the discovery and characterization of a small molecule binding site on the survivin surface distinct from the Smac peptide-binding site. The new site is located at the dimer interface and exhibits many of the features of highly druggable, biologically relevant protein binding sites. A variety of small hydrophobic compounds were found that bind with moderate affinity to this binding site, from which one lead was developed into a group of compounds with nanomolar affinity. Additionally, a subset of these compounds are adequately water-soluble and cell-permeable. Thus, the structural studies and small molecules described here provide tools that can be used to probe the biochemical role(s) of survivin, and may ultimately serve as a basis for the development of small molecule therapeutics acting via direct or allosteric disruption of binding events related to this poorly understood target.
CiteXplore: 17391963