Design and development of FGF-23 antagonists: Definition of the pharmacophore and initial structure-activity relationships probed by synthetic analogues

Bioorg Med Chem. 2021 Jan 1:29:115877. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115877. Epub 2020 Nov 18.

Abstract

Hereditary hypophosphatemic disorders, TIO, and CKD conditions are believed to be influenced by an excess of Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23) which activates a binary renal FGFRs / α-Klotho complex to regulate homeostatic metabolism of phosphate and vitamin D. Adaptive FGF-23 responses from CKD patients with excess FGF-23 frequently lead to increased mortality from cardiovascular disease. A reversibly binding small molecule therapeutic has yet to emerge from research and development in this area. Current outcomes described in this work highlight efforts related to lead identification and modification using organic synthesis of strategic analogues to probe structure-activity relationships and preliminarily define the pharmacophore of a computationally derived hit obtained from virtual high-throughput screening. Synthetic strategies for the initial hit and analogue preparation, as well as preliminary cellular in vitro assay results highlighting sub micromolar inhibition of the FGF-23 signaling sequence at a concentration well below cytotoxicity are reported herein.

Keywords: Antagonist; Arene; Cross-coupling; FGF-23; Oxime.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design*
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor-23
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / metabolism
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemical synthesis
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Thiophenes / chemical synthesis
  • Thiophenes / chemistry
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology*

Substances

  • FGF23 protein, human
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Thiophenes
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor-23