Design, Synthesis, and Testing of Potent, Selective Hepsin Inhibitors via Application of an Automated Closed-Loop Optimization Platform

J Med Chem. 2018 May 24;61(10):4335-4347. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01698. Epub 2018 May 14.

Abstract

Hepsin is a membrane-anchored serine protease whose role in hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling and epithelial integrity makes it a target of therapeutic interest in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Using an integrated design, synthesis, and screening platform, we were able to rapidly develop potent and selective inhibitors of hepsin. In progressing from the initial hit 7 to compound 53, the IC50 value against hepsin was improved from ∼1 μM to 22 nM, and the selectivity over urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was increased from 30-fold to >6000-fold. Subsequent in vitro ADMET profiling and cellular studies confirmed that the leading compounds are useful tools for interrogating the role of hepsin in breast tumorigenesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Drug Design*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / standards*
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein Conformation
  • Serine Endopeptidases / chemistry*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • HPN protein, human