Document Report Card

ID: ALA2396645

Journal: J Med Chem

Title: Discovery of potent and selective benzothiazole hydrazone inhibitors of Bcl-XL.

Authors: Sleebs BE, Kersten WJ, Kulasegaram S, Nikolakopoulos G, Hatzis E, Moss RM, Parisot JP, Yang H, Czabotar PE, Fairlie WD, Lee EF, Adams JM, Chen L, van Delft MF, Lowes KN, Wei A, Huang DC, Colman PM, Street IP, Baell JB, Watson K, Lessene G.

Abstract: Developing potent molecules that inhibit Bcl-2 family mediated apoptosis affords opportunities to treat cancers via reactivation of the cell death machinery. We describe the hit-to-lead development of selective Bcl-XL inhibitors originating from a high-throughput screening campaign. Small structural changes to the hit compound increased binding affinity more than 300-fold (to IC50 < 20 nM). This molecular series exhibits drug-like characteristics, low molecular weights (Mw < 450), and unprecedented selectivity for Bcl-XL. Surface plasmon resonance experiments afford strong evidence of binding affinity within the hydrophobic groove of Bcl-XL. Biological experiments using engineered Mcl-1 deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs, reliant only on Bcl-XL for survival) and Bax/Bak deficient MEFs (insensitive to selective activation of Bcl-2-driven apoptosis) support a mechanism-based induction of apoptosis. This manuscript describes the first series of selective small-molecule inhibitors of Bcl-XL and provides promising leads for the development of efficacious therapeutics against solid tumors and chemoresistant cancer cell lines.

CiteXplore: 23767404

DOI: 10.1021/jm400556w