ABSTRACT
The synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and biological properties of a novel series of imidazole-containing inhibitors of farnesyltransferase are described. Starting from a 3-aminopyrrolidinone core, a systematic series of modifications provided 5h, a non-thiol, non-peptide farnesyltransferase inhibitor with excellent bioavailability in dogs. Compound 5h was found to have an unusually favorable ratio of cell potency to intrinsic potency, compared with other known FTIs. It exhibited excellent potency against a range of tumor cell lines in vitro and showed full efficacy in the K-rasB transgenic mouse model.
Subject(s)
Alkyl and Aryl Transferases/antagonists & inhibitors , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Imidazoles/chemical synthesis , Lactams/chemical synthesis , Nitriles/chemical synthesis , Pyrrolidinones/chemical synthesis , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Binding Sites , Binding, Competitive , Biological Availability , Cell Line, Transformed , Dogs , Drug Design , Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Farnesyltranstransferase , Genes, ras , Imidazoles/chemistry , Imidazoles/pharmacology , Lactams/chemistry , Lactams/pharmacology , Mice , Mice, Transgenic , Models, Molecular , Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Nitriles/chemistry , Nitriles/pharmacology , Pyrrolidinones/chemistry , Pyrrolidinones/pharmacology , Radioligand Assay , Stereoisomerism , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
A series of amino acid-based linkers was used to investigate the effects of various substituents upon the potency, pharmacokinetic properties, and conformation of macrocyclic farnesyl-protein transferase inhibitors (FTIs). As a result of the studies described herein, highly potent FTIs with improved pharmacokinetic profiles have been identified.
