Discovery of potent and selective c-Met inhibitors for MET-amplified hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and lethal malignancy worldwide. The MET gene, which encodes receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met, is aberrantly activated in various solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer and HCC. In this study, we identified a novel c-Met inhibitor 54 by virtual screening and structural optimization. Compound 54 showed potent c-Met inhibition with an IC50 value of 0.45 ± 0.06 nM. It also exhibited high selectivity among 370 kinases and potent anti-proliferative activity against MET-amplified HCC cells. Moreover, compound 54 displayed significant anti-tumor efficacy in vivo, making it a potential candidate for HCC treatment in future studies.

Discovery of Novel Phosphoinositide-3-Kinase α Inhibitors with High Selectivity, Excellent Bioavailability, and Long-Acting Efficacy for Gastric Cancer.

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) overexpressed in many tumors is a promising target for cancer therapy. However, due to toxicity from the ubiquitous expression of PI3K in many tissues, the development of PI3K inhibitors with high selectivity and low toxicity has become an urgent need for tumor treatment. Herein, based on the HipHop, we designed and synthesized a series of 6-(4,6-dimorpholino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)benzo[d]oxazol-2-amine derivatives as potent, selective, and long-acting PI3Kα inhibitors. Compound 27 was determined with potent PI3Kα inhibitory activity (IC50 = 4.4 nM), which exhibited excellent selectivity for homologous PI3K enzymes and a 370 kinome panel. Meanwhile, 27 featured favorable stability (T1/2 > 10 h) and high bioavailability (130%). Importantly, compound 27 exerted great antigastric cancer activity in vivo when combined with taxol. Collectively, these characteristics suggested 27 to be a promising PI3K agent for cancer treatment.