Targeting Cysteine Located Outside the Active Site: An Effective Strategy for Covalent ALKi Design

J Med Chem. 2021 Feb 11;64(3):1558-1569. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01707. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Abstract

Potent inhibitors of ALK are highly desired because of the occurrence of drug resistance. We herein firstly report the development of a rationally designed inhibitor, Con B-1, which can covalently bind to Cys1259, a cysteine located outside the ALK active site by linking a warhead with Ceritinib through a 2,2'-Oxybis(ethylamine) linker. The in vitro and in vivo assays showed ConB-1 is a potent selective ALKi with low toxicity to normal cells. In addition, the molecule showed significant improvement of anticancer activities and potential antidrug resistant activity compared with Ceritinib, demonstrating the covalent inhibitor of ALK can be a promising drug candidate for the treatment of NSCLC. This work may provide a novel perspective on the design of covalent inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase / drug effects*
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Catalytic Domain / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cysteine / drug effects*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Models, Molecular
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfones / chemistry
  • Sulfones / pharmacology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Pyrimidines
  • Sulfones
  • ALK protein, human
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • ceritinib
  • Cysteine