Antibodies are ubiquitous key biological research resources yet are tricky to use as they are prone to performance issues and represent a major source of variability across studies. Understanding what antibody was used in a published study is therefore necessary to repeat and/or interpret a given study. However, antibody reagents are still frequently not cited with sufficient detail to determine which antibody was used in experiments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is a frequently dysregulated pathway in human cancer, and PI3Kα is one of the most frequently mutated kinases in human cancer. A PI3Kα-selective inhibitor may provide the opportunity to spare patients the side effects associated with broader inhibition of the class I PI3K family. Here, we describe our efforts to discover a PI3Kα-selective inhibitor by applying structure-based drug design (SBDD) and computational analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a major driver of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Marketed first generation inhibitors, such as erlotinib, effect a transient beneficial response in EGFR mutant NSCLC patients before resistance mechanisms render these inhibitors ineffective. Secondary oncogenic EGFR mutations account for approximately 50% of relapses, the most common being the gatekeeper T790M substitution that renders existing therapies ineffective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFirst generation EGFR TKIs (gefitinib, erlotinib) provide significant clinical benefit for NSCLC cancer patients with oncogenic EGFR mutations. Ultimately, these patients' disease progresses, often driven by a second-site mutation in the EGFR kinase domain (T790M). Another liability of the first generation drugs is severe adverse events driven by inhibition of WT EGFR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase is an emerging target for antitumor therapy. In this letter, we describe the discovery of 2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones as potent and selective PKM2 activators which were found to have a novel binding mode. The original lead identified from high throughput screening was optimized into an efficient series via computer-aided structure-based drug design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPI3K, AKT and mTOR, key kinases from a frequently dysregulated PI3K signaling pathway, have been extensively pursued to treat a variety of cancers in oncology. Clinical trials of PF-04691502, a highly potent and selective ATP competitive kinase inhibitor of class 1 PI3Ks and mTOR, from 4-methylpyridopyrimidinone series, led to the discovery of a metabolite with a terminal carboxylic acid, PF-06465603. This paper discusses structure-based drug design, SAR and antitumor activity of the MPP derivatives with a terminal alcohol, a carboxylic acid or a carboxyl amide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase is an attractive oncology target because of its critical role in human oncogenesis and tumor progression. An oxindole hydrazide hit 6 was identified during a c-MET HTS campaign and subsequently demonstrated to have an unusual degree of selectivity against a broad array of other kinases. The cocrystal structure of the related oxindole hydrazide c-MET inhibitor 10 with a nonphosphorylated c-MET kinase domain revealed a unique binding mode associated with the exquisite selectivity profile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOxobenzimidazoles (e.g., 1), a novel series of androgen receptor (AR) antagonists, were discovered through de novo design guided by structure-based drug design.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh throughput cell-based screening led to the identification of 3-aryloxy lactams as potent androgen receptor (AR) antagonists. Refinement of these leads to improve the ADME profile and remove residual agonism led to the discovery of 12, a potent full antagonist with greater oral bioavailability. Improvements in the ADME profile were realized by designing more ligand-efficient molecules with reduced molecular weights and lower lipophilicities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFN-{trans-3-[(5-Cyano-6-methylpyridin-2-yl)oxy]-2,2,4,4-tetramethylcyclobutyl}imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-3-carboxamide (1) was recently identified as a full antagonist of the androgen receptor, demonstrating excellent in vivo tumor growth inhibition in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine moiety is rapidly metabolized by aldehyde oxidase (AO). The present paper describes a number of medicinal chemistry strategies taken to avoid the AO-mediated oxidation of this particular system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn aryloxy tetramethylcyclobutane was identified as a novel template for androgen receptor (AR) antagonists via cell-based high-throughput screening. Follow-up to the initial "hit" established 5 as a viable lead. Further optimization to achieve full AR antagonism led to the discovery of 26 and 30, both of which demonstrated excellent in vivo tumor growth inhibition upon oral administration in a castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) animal model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBecause of the critical roles of aberrant signaling in cancer, both c-MET and ALK receptor tyrosine kinases are attractive oncology targets for therapeutic intervention. The cocrystal structure of 3 (PHA-665752), bound to c-MET kinase domain, revealed a novel ATP site environment, which served as the target to guide parallel, multiattribute drug design. A novel 2-amino-5-aryl-3-benzyloxypyridine series was created to more effectively make the key interactions achieved with 3.
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