Potent GCN2 Inhibitor Capable of Reversing MDSC-Driven T Cell Suppression Demonstrates In Vivo Efficacy as a Single Agent and in Combination with Anti-Angiogenesis Therapy.

General control nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) protein kinase is a cellular stress sensor within the tumor microenvironment (TME), whose signaling cascade has been proposed to contribute to immune escape in tumors. Herein, we report the discovery of cell-potent GCN2 inhibitors with excellent selectivity against its closely related Integrated Stress Response (ISR) family members heme-regulated inhibitor kinase (HRI), protein kinase R (PKR), and (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), as well as good kinome-wide selectivity and favorable PK. In mice, compound 39 engages GCN2 at levels ≥80% with an oral dose of 15 mg/kg BID. We also demonstrate the ability of compound 39 to alleviate MDSC-related T cell suppression and restore T cell proliferation, similar to the effect seen in MDSCs from GCN2 knockout mice. In the LL2 syngeneic mouse model, compound 39 demonstrates significant tumor growth inhibition (TGI) as a single agent. Furthermore, TGI mediated by anti-VEGFR was enhanced by treatment with compound 39 demonstrating the complementarity of these two mechanisms.

Discovery of Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable Inhibitors of USP7 with In Vivo Antitumor Activity.

USP7 is a promising target for cancer therapy as its inhibition is expected to decrease function of oncogenes, increase tumor suppressor function, and enhance immune function. Using a structure-based drug design strategy, a new class of reversible USP7 inhibitors has been identified that is highly potent in biochemical and cellular assays and extremely selective for USP7 over other deubiquitinases. The succinimide was identified as a key potency-driving motif, forming two strong hydrogen bonds to the allosteric pocket of USP7. Redesign of an initial benzofuran-amide scaffold yielded a simplified ether series of inhibitors, utilizing acyclic conformational control to achieve proper amine placement. Further improvements were realized upon replacing the ether-linked amines with carbon-linked morpholines, a modification motivated by free energy perturbation (FEP+) calculations. This led to the discovery of compound 41, a highly potent, selective, and orally bioavailable USP7 inhibitor. In xenograft studies, compound 41 demonstrated tumor growth inhibition in both p53 wildtype and p53 mutant cancer cell lines, demonstrating that USP7 inhibitors can suppress tumor growth through multiple different pathways.

Catalytic enantioselective dibromination of allylic alcohols.

A new dibromination reaction involving the combination of dibromomalonate as the bromonium source and a titanium bromide species as the bromide source has been developed. Enantioselective catalysis has been achieved through apparent ligand acceleration by a tartaric acid-derived diol.

Enantioselective synthesis of the 5-6-7 carbocyclic core of the gagunin diterpenoids.

A catalytic enantioselective double allylic alkylation reaction has been employed in the synthesis of the core of the gagunin diterpenoids. Enantioenriched material was advanced in 11 steps to afford the core of the highly oxygenated target, which includes two all-carbon quaternary stereocenters.

A concise enantioselective synthesis of the chlorosulfolipid malhamensilipin A.

The first enantioselective synthesis of a member of the chlorosulfolipid family of natural products is reported. All of the polar substituents of malhamensilipin A are introduced with high stereoselectivity, and the unique (E)-chlorovinyl sulfate is created by a chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective E2 elimination of HCl in a reaction that likely has a counterpart in the biosynthesis of this fascinating natural product.

Structure revision and absolute configuration of malhamensilipin A from the freshwater chrysophyte Poterioochromonas malhamensis.

Malhamensilipin A (2), a bioactive chlorosulfolipid initially reported in 1994 from the freshwater alga Poterioochromonas malhamensis, was reinvestigated for its structural and stereochemical features. HRESIMS data revealed that 2 possesses two sulfate groups rather than the one originally reported. A combination of J-based configurational and Mosher's analyses led us to assign its absolute configuration as 11R, 12S, 13S, 14R, 15S, and 16S. Finally, comparison of (1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shifts with synthetic standards confirmed that malhamensilipin A (2) possesses a terminal double bond of E configuration.

Relative stereochemistry determination and synthesis of the major chlorosulfolipid from Ochromonas danica.

The relative stereochemistry of the major chlorosulfolipid of the chrysophyte alga Ochromonas danica, to which we have given the name "danicalipin A", is reported. The first synthesis of this lipid, via several stereospecific electrophilic additions to alkenes, serves to corroborate the stereochemical assignment made by NMR spectroscopy. The synthesis strategy described should be applicable to other chlorosulfolipids and should provide access to sufficient material for studies of the lipid's properties and function in membranes.

Stereoselective dichlorination of allylic alcohol derivatives to access key stereochemical arrays of the chlorosulfolipids.

Dichlorination of (Z)-allylic trichloroacetates efficiently and stereoselectively generates the syn,syn hydroxydichloride stereotriad that is prevalent in the understudied polychlorinated sulfolipid class of natural products. Further, the dichlorination of a (Z)-allylic chlorohydrin affords with high selectivity a stereotetrad present in one of the chlorosulfolipids.