Identification and Optimization of a Ligand-Efficient Benzoazepinone Bromodomain and Extra Terminal (BET) Family Acetyl-Lysine Mimetic into the Oral Candidate Quality Molecule I-BET432.

The bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family of proteins are an integral part of human epigenome regulation, the dysregulation of which is implicated in multiple oncology and inflammatory diseases. Disrupting the BET family bromodomain acetyl-lysine (KAc) histone protein-protein interaction with small-molecule KAc mimetics has proven to be a disease-relevant mechanism of action, and multiple molecules are currently undergoing oncology clinical trials. This work describes an efficiency analysis of published GSK pan-BET bromodomain inhibitors, which drove a strategic choice to focus on the identification of a ligand-efficient KAc mimetic with the hypothesis that lipophilic efficiency could be drastically improved during optimization. This focus drove the discovery of the highly ligand-efficient and structurally distinct benzoazepinone KAc mimetic. Following crystallography to identify suitable growth vectors, the benzoazepinone core was optimized through an explore-exploit structure-activity relationship (SAR) approach while carefully monitoring lipophilic efficiency to deliver I-BET432 (41) as an oral candidate quality molecule.

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of I-BET567, a Pan-Bromodomain and Extra Terminal (BET) Bromodomain Oral Candidate.

Through regulation of the epigenome, the bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family of proteins represent important therapeutic targets for the treatment of human disease. Through mimicking the endogenous N-acetyl-lysine group and disrupting the protein-protein interaction between histone tails and the bromodomain, several small molecule pan-BET inhibitors have progressed to oncology clinical trials. This work describes the medicinal chemistry strategy and execution to deliver an orally bioavailable tetrahydroquinoline (THQ) pan-BET candidate. Critical to the success of this endeavor was a potency agnostic analysis of a data set of 1999 THQ BET inhibitors within the GSK collection which enabled identification of appropriate lipophilicity space to deliver compounds with a higher probability of desired oral candidate quality properties. SAR knowledge was leveraged via Free-Wilson analysis within this design space to identify a small group of targets which ultimately delivered I-BET567 (27), a pan-BET candidate inhibitor that demonstrated efficacy in mouse models of oncology and inflammation.

Optimization of Naphthyridones into Selective TATA-Binding Protein Associated Factor 1 (TAF1) Bromodomain Inhibitors.

Bromodomain containing proteins and the acetyl-lysine binding bromodomains contained therein are increasingly attractive targets for the development of novel epigenetic therapeutics. To help validate this target class and unravel the complex associated biology, there has been a concerted effort to develop selective small molecule bromodomain inhibitors. Herein we describe the structure-based efforts and multiple challenges encountered in optimizing a naphthyridone template into selective TAF1(2) bromodomain inhibitors which, while unsuitable as chemical probes themselves, show promise for the future development of small molecules to interrogate TAF1(2) biology. Key to this work was the introduction and modulation of the basicity of a pendant amine which had a substantial impact on not only bromodomain selectivity but also cellular target engagement.

Application of Atypical Acetyl-lysine Methyl Mimetics in the Development of Selective Inhibitors of the Bromodomain-Containing Protein 7 (BRD7)/Bromodomain-Containing Protein 9 (BRD9) Bromodomains.

Non-BET bromodomain-containing proteins have become attractive targets for the development of novel therapeutics targeting epigenetic pathways. To help facilitate the target validation of this class of proteins, structurally diverse small-molecule ligands and methodologies to produce selective inhibitors in a predictable fashion are in high demand. Herein, we report the development and application of atypical acetyl-lysine (KAc) methyl mimetics to take advantage of the differential stability of conserved water molecules in the bromodomain binding site. Discovery of the n-butyl group as an atypical KAc methyl mimetic allowed generation of 31 (GSK6776) as a soluble, permeable, and selective BRD7/9 inhibitor from a pyridazinone template. The n-butyl group was then used to enhance the bromodomain selectivity of an existing BRD9 inhibitor and to transform pan-bromodomain inhibitors into BRD7/9 selective compounds. Finally, a solvent-exposed vector was defined from the pyridazinone template to enable bifunctional molecule synthesis, and affinity enrichment chemoproteomic experiments were used to confirm several of the endogenous protein partners of BRD7 and BRD9, which form part of the chromatin remodeling PBAF and BAF complexes, respectively.

Clinical progress and pharmacology of small molecule bromodomain inhibitors.

Bromodomains have emerged as an exciting target class for drug discovery over the past decade. Research has primarily focused on the bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family of bromodomains, which has led to the development of multiple small molecule inhibitors and an increasing number of clinical assets. The excitement centred on the clinical potential of BET inhibition has stimulated intense interest in the broader family and the growing number of non-BET bromodomain chemical probes has facilitated phenotypic investigations, implicating these targets in a variety of disease pathways including cancer, inflammation, embryonic development and neurological disorders.

Isoxazole-Derived Amino Acids are Bromodomain-Binding Acetyl-Lysine Mimics: Incorporation into Histone H4 Peptides and Histone H3.

A range of isoxazole-containing amino acids was synthesized that displaced acetyl-lysine-containing peptides from the BAZ2A, BRD4(1), and BRD9 bromodomains. Three of these amino acids were incorporated into a histone H4-mimicking peptide and their affinity for BRD4(1) was assessed. Affinities of the isoxazole-containing peptides are comparable to those of a hyperacetylated histone H4-mimicking cognate peptide, and demonstrated a dependence on the position at which the unnatural residue was incorporated. An isoxazole-based alkylating agent was developed to selectively alkylate cysteine residues in situ. Selective monoalkylation of a histone H4-mimicking peptide, containing a lysine to cysteine residue substitution (K12C), resulted in acetyl-lysine mimic incorporation, with high affinity for the BRD4 bromodomain. The same technology was used to alkylate a K18C mutant of histone H3.

Progress in the Development of non-BET Bromodomain Chemical Probes.

The bromodomain and extra terminal (BET) family of bromodomains have been the focus of extensive research, leading to the development of many potent, selective chemical probes and recent clinical assets. The profound biology associated with BET bromodomain inhibition has provided a convincing rationale for targeting bromodomains for the treatment of disease. However, the BET family represents just eight of the at least 56 human bromodomains identified to date. Until recently, there has been significantly less interest in non-BET bromodomains, leaving a vast area of research and the majority of this new target class yet to be thoroughly investigated. It has been widely reported that several non-BET bromodomain containing proteins are associated with various diseases including cancer and HIV. Therefore, the development of chemical probes for non-BET bromodomains will facilitate elucidation of their precise biological roles and potentially lead to the development of new medicines. This review summarises the progress made towards the development of non-BET bromodomain chemical probes to date. In addition, we highlight the potential for future work in this new and exciting area.

Discovery of I-BRD9, a Selective Cell Active Chemical Probe for Bromodomain Containing Protein 9 Inhibition.

Acetylation of histone lysine residues is one of the most well-studied post-translational modifications of chromatin, selectively recognized by bromodomain "reader" modules. Inhibitors of the bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) family of bromodomains have shown profound anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, generating much interest in targeting other bromodomain-containing proteins for disease treatment. Herein, we report the discovery of I-BRD9, the first selective cellular chemical probe for bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9). I-BRD9 was identified through structure-based design, leading to greater than 700-fold selectivity over the BET family and 200-fold over the highly homologous bromodomain-containing protein 7 (BRD7). I-BRD9 was used to identify genes regulated by BRD9 in Kasumi-1 cells involved in oncology and immune response pathways and to the best of our knowledge, represents the first selective tool compound available to elucidate the cellular phenotype of BRD9 bromodomain inhibition.

Alkene anti-Dihydroxylation with Malonoyl Peroxides.

Malonoyl peroxide 1, prepared in a single step from the commercially available diacid, is an effective reagent for the anti-dihydroxylation of alkenes. Reaction of 1 with an alkene in the presence of acetic acid at 40 °C followed by alkaline hydrolysis leads to the corresponding diol (35-92%) with up to 13:1 anti-selectivity. A mechanism consistent with experimental findings is proposed that accounts for the selectivity observed.