RESUMEN
Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) and the δ and ε isoforms of casein kinase 1 (CK1) are linked to various disease-relevant pathways. However, the lack of tool compounds for these kinases has significantly hampered our understanding of their cellular functions and therapeutic potential. Here, we describe the structure-based development of potent inhibitors of VRK1, a kinase highly expressed in various tumor types and crucial for cell proliferation and genome integrity. Kinome-wide profiling revealed that our compounds also inhibit CK1δ and CK1ε. We demonstrate that dihydropteridinones 35 and 36 mimic the cellular outcomes of VRK1 depletion. Complementary studies with existing CK1δ and CK1ε inhibitors suggest that these kinases may play overlapping roles in cell proliferation and genome instability. Together, our findings highlight the potential of VRK1 inhibition in treating p53-deficient tumors and possibly enhancing the efficacy of existing cancer therapies that target DNA stability or cell division.
RESUMEN
The discovery of potent and selective inhibitors for understudied kinases can provide relevant pharmacological tools to illuminate their biological functions. DYRK1A and DYRK1B are protein kinases linked to chronic human diseases. Current DYRK1A/DYRK1B inhibitors also antagonize the function of related protein kinases, such as CDC2-like kinases (CLK1, CLK2, CLK4) and DYRK2. Here, we reveal narrow spectrum dual inhibitors of DYRK1A and DYRK1B based on a benzothiophene scaffold. Compound optimization exploited structural differences in the ATP-binding sites of the DYRK1 kinases and resulted in the discovery of 3n, a potent and cell-permeable DYRK1A/DYRK1B inhibitor. This compound has a different scaffold and a narrower off-target profile compared to current DYRK1A/DYRK1B inhibitors. We expect the benzothiophene derivatives described here to aid establishing DYRK1A/DYRK1B cellular functions and their role in human pathologies.
