ABSTRACT
The kinase selectivity and pharmacokinetic optimization of a series of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1 is described. The intersection of insights from molecular modeling, computational prediction of metabolic sites, and in vitro metabolite identification studies resulted in a simple and unique solution to both of these problems. These efforts culminated in the discovery of compound 13a, a potent, relatively selective inhibitor of TAK1 with good pharmacokinetic properties in mice, which was active in an in vivo model of ovarian cancer.
Subject(s)
Enzyme Inhibitors , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , Pyridines , Amines/chemical synthesis , Amines/chemistry , Amines/pharmacology , Animals , Crystallography, X-Ray , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Furans/chemical synthesis , Furans/chemistry , Furans/pharmacology , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/metabolism , Mice , Molecular Structure , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Phosphotransferases/chemistry , Phosphotransferases/metabolism , Pyridines/chemical synthesis , Pyridines/pharmacokinetics , Pyridines/pharmacology , Structure-Activity Relationship , Xenograft Model Antitumor AssaysABSTRACT
The discovery and potency optimization of a series of 7-aminofuro[2,3-c]pyridine inhibitors of TAK1 is described. Micromolar hits taken from high-throughput screening were optimized for biochemical and cellular mechanistic potency to ~10nM, as exemplified by compound 12az. Application of structure-based drug design aided by co-crystal structures of TAK1 with inhibitors significantly shortened the number of iterations required for the optimization.
Subject(s)
MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , Pyridines , Amines/chemical synthesis , Amines/chemistry , Amines/pharmacology , Animals , Crystallography, X-Ray , Drug Design , Enzyme Activation/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacokinetics , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Furans/chemical synthesis , Furans/chemistry , Furans/pharmacology , Humans , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Mice , Molecular Structure , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pyridines/chemical synthesis , Pyridines/pharmacokinetics , Pyridines/pharmacology , Structure-Activity Relationship , Xenograft Model Antitumor AssaysABSTRACT
A high-throughput chemiluminescence and ELISA-based biochemical assay to identify mTORC1/mTORC2 kinase inhibitors is described. These mTOR complexes were isolated from HeLa whole cell lysate using mTOR antibodies and in-well immunoprecipitation. The integrity and purity of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 immunocomplexes were confirmed by western blotting. Full-length recombinant 4E-BP1 was used as a substrate and the catalytic activity was measured by detection of p4E-BP1 [T37/46] by a chemiluminescence method. The performance of this assay that can be used to identify dual mTORC1 and mTORC2 kinase inhibitors in a high-throughput 384-well format is described.
