Discovery of Novel Pyrrolo[2,3- d]pyrimidine-based Derivatives as Potent JAK/HDAC Dual Inhibitors for the Treatment of Refractory Solid Tumors

J Med Chem. 2022 Jan 27;65(2):1243-1264. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02111. Epub 2021 Feb 15.

Abstract

It remains a big challenge to develop HDAC inhibitors effective for solid tumors. Previous studies have suggested that the feedback activation of JAK-STAT3 pathway represents a key mechanism leading to resistance to HDAC inhibitors in breast cancer, suggesting the therapeutic promise of JAK/HDAC dual inhibitors. In this work, we discovered a series of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based derivatives as potent JAK and HDAC dual inhibitors. Especially, compounds 15d and 15h potently inhibited JAK1/2/3 and HDAC1/6 and displayed antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Besides, compounds 15d and 15h also diminished the activation of LIFR-JAK-STAT signaling triggered by tumor-associated fibroblasts, which suggests that these compounds could potentially overcome the drug resistance caused by the tumor microenvironment. More importantly, compound 15d effectively inhibited the tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumor model. Overall, this work provides valuable leads and novel antitumor mechanisms for the treatment of the SAHA-resistant triple-negative breast cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Female
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Janus Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Pyrimidines / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Janus Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrimidines