Discovery and Rational Design of Pteridin-7(8H)-one-Based Inhibitors Targeting FMS-like Tyrosine Kinase 3 (FLT3) and Its Mutants

J Med Chem. 2016 Jul 14;59(13):6187-200. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00374. Epub 2016 Jun 22.

Abstract

FLT3 has been validated as a therapeutic target for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this paper, we describe for the first time, pteridin-7(8H)-one as a scaffold for potent FLT3 inhibitors derived from structural optimizations on irreversible EGFR inhibitors. The representative inhibitor (31) demonstrates single-digit nanomolar inhibition against FLT3 and subnanomolar KD for drug-resistance FLT3 mutants. In profiling of the in vitro tumor cell lines, it shows good selectivity against AML cells harboring FLT3-ITD mutations over other leukemia and solid tumor cell lines. The mechanism of action study illustrates that pteridin-7(8H)-one derivatives suppress the phosphorylation of FLT3 and its downstream pathways, thereby inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in AML cells. In in vivo studies, 31 significantly suppresses the tumor growth in MV4-11 xenograft model. Overall, we provide a structurally distinct chemical scaffold with which to develop FLT3 mutants-selective inhibitors for AML treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Mutation
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Pteridines / chemistry*
  • Pteridines / pharmacology*
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics*
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pteridines
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3