Lenalidomide Stabilizes Protein-Protein Complexes by Turning Labile Intermolecular H-Bonds into Robust Interactions.

Targeted protein degradation is a promising therapeutic strategy, spearheaded by the anti-myeloma drugs lenalidomide and pomalidomide. These drugs stabilize very efficiently the complex between the E3 ligase Cereblon (CRBN) and several non-native client proteins (neo-substrates), including the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos and the enzyme Caseine Kinase 1α (CK1α,), resulting in their degradation. Although the structures for these complexes have been determined, there are no evident interactions that can account for the high efficiency of formation of the ternary complex. We show that lenalidomide's stabilization of the CRBN-CK1α complex is largely due to hydrophobic shielding of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. We also find a quantitative relationship between hydrogen bond robustness and binding affinities of the ternary complexes. These results pave the way to further understand cooperativity effects in drug-induced protein-protein complexes and could help in the design of improved molecular glues and more efficient protein degraders.

Structure-activity relationship analysis of novel GSPT1 degraders based on benzotriazinone scaffold and its antitumor effect on xenograft mouse model.

Molecular glue degraders, such as lenalidomide and pomalidomide, bind to cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase and subsequently recruit neosubstrate proteins, Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3), for the ubiquitination-proteasomal degradation process. In this study, we explored structure-activity relationship analysis for novel GSPT1 degraders utilizing a benzotriazinone scaffold previously discovered as a novel CRBN binder. In particular, we focused on the position of the ureido group on the benzotriazinone scaffold, substituent effect on the phenylureido group, and methyl substitution on the benzylic position of benzotriazinone. As a result, we identified 34f (TD-522), which exhibits strong anti-proliferative effects in both KG-1 (EC50 = 0.5 nM) and TMD-8 (EC50 = 5.2 nM) cell lines. Compound 34f effectively induced GSPT1 degradation with a DC50 of 0.269 nM and Dmax of >95 % at 10 nM concentration in KG-1 cells. An in vivo xenograft study showed that compound 34f effectively suppressed TMD8-driven tumor growth, suggesting a potential role in the development of novel GSPT1 degraders.

Degrading FLT3-ITD protein by proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC).

Clinical FLT3 mutations caused poor therapeutic benefits toward the present FLT3 inhibitors, and degradation of the FLT3 mutant protein may be a promising alternative approach to protect against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Herein, we report the discovery of small molecule FLT3 degraders based on the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC). FLT3 degraders were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for FLT3 degradation. Promising PF15 significantly inhibited the proliferation of FLT3-ITD-positive cells, induced FLT3 degradation and downregulated the phosphorylation of FLT3 and STAT5. An in vivo xenograft model and survival period evaluation verified the efficacy of PROTAC. These findings laid a robust foundation for FLT3-PROTAC molecules as an effective strategy for treating AML.

Drug Repurposing: Deferasirox Inhibits the Anti-Apoptotic Activity of Mcl-1.

INTRODUCTION: With the aim of repositioning commercially available drugs for the inhibition of the anti-apoptotic myeloid cell leukemia protein, Mcl-1, implied in various cancers, five molecules, highlighted from a published theoretical screening, were selected to experimentally validate their affinity toward Mcl-1. RESULTS: A detailed NMR study revealed that only two of the five tested drugs, Torsemide and Deferasirox, interacted with Mcl-1. NMR data analysis allowed the complete characterization of the binding mode of both drugs to Mcl-1, including the estimation of their affinity for Mcl-1. Biological assays evidenced that the biological activity of Torsemide was lower as compared to the Deferasirox, which was able to efficiently and selectively inhibit the anti-apoptotic activity of Mcl-1. Finally, docking and molecular dynamics led to a 3D model for the Deferasirox:Mcl-1 complex and revealed the positioning of the drug in the Mcl-1 P2/P3 pockets as well as almost all synthetic Mcl-1 inhibitors. Interestingly, contrary to known synthetic Mcl-1 inhibitors which interact through Arg263, Deferasirox, establishes a salt bridge with Lys234. CONCLUSION: Deferasirox could be a potential candidate for drug repositioning as Mcl-1 inhibitor.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase component, Cereblon, is an evolutionarily conserved regulator of Wnt signaling.

Immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) are important for the treatment of multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Binding of IMiDs to Cereblon (CRBN), the substrate receptor of the CRL4CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase, induces cancer cell death by targeting key neo-substrates for degradation. Despite this clinical significance, the physiological regulation of CRBN remains largely unknown. Herein we demonstrate that Wnt, the extracellular ligand of an essential signal transduction pathway, promotes the CRBN-dependent degradation of a subset of proteins. These substrates include Casein kinase 1α (CK1α), a negative regulator of Wnt signaling that functions as a key component of the ß-Catenin destruction complex. Wnt stimulation induces the interaction of CRBN with CK1α and its resultant ubiquitination, and in contrast with previous reports does so in the absence of an IMiD. Mechanistically, the destruction complex is critical in maintaining CK1α stability in the absence of Wnt, and in recruiting CRBN to target CK1α for degradation in response to Wnt. CRBN is required for physiological Wnt signaling, as modulation of CRBN in zebrafish and Drosophila yields Wnt-driven phenotypes. These studies demonstrate an IMiD-independent, Wnt-driven mechanism of CRBN regulation and provide a means of controlling Wnt pathway activity by CRBN, with relevance for development and disease.

Discovery of novel BCR-ABL PROTACs based on the cereblon E3 ligase design, synthesis, and biological evaluation.

Protein degradation is a promising strategy for drug development. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) hijacking the E3 ligase cereblon (CRBN) exhibit enormous potential and universal degradation performance due to the small molecular weight of CRBN ligands. In this study, the CRBN-recruiting PROTACs were explored on the degradation of oncogenic fusion protein BCR-ABL, which drives the pathogenesis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A series of novel PROTACs were synthesized by conjugating BCR-ABL inhibitor dasatinib to the CRBN ligand including pomalidomide and lenalidomide, and the extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies were performed focusing on optimization of linker parameters. Therein, we uncovered that pomalidomide-based degrader 17 (SIAIS056), possessing sulfur-substituted carbon chain linker, exhibits the most potent degradative activity in vitro and favorable pharmacokinetics in vivo. Besides, degrader 17 also degrades a variety of clinically relevant resistance-conferring mutations of BCR-ABL. Furthermore, degrader 17 induces significant tumor regression against K562 xenograft tumors. Our study indicates that 17 as an efficacious BCR-ABL degrader warrants intensive investigation for the future treatment of BCR-ABL+ leukemia.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of thioether-containing lenalidomide and pomalidomide derivatives with anti-multiple myeloma activity.

Lenalidomide and its analogs are well-known for treating multiple myeloma. In this work, designed sulfide-modified lenalidomide and pomalidomide were synthesized and evaluated. The anti-proliferative activity against MM.1S cell line of 3ak (IC50 = 79 nM) was similar to lenalidomide (IC50 = 81 nM). Compared to benzylic thioether substituted lenalidomide 3a, the half-live (T1/2) of 4-F-phenyl-thioether analogs 3ak in human liver microsomes was promoted from 3 min to 416.7 min. The corresponding metabolic factor of 3ak was increased from 2.8% to 79.5%, which was slightly lower than lenalidomide (91.5%). Moreover, the IKZF1 degradation of 3y and 3ak was well related with corresponding IC50 values, which suggested the IKZF1 degradation efficiency is correlated to the responses of MM1. S cells. Furthermore, the oral administration of compounds 3y and 3ak at dosages of 60 mg/kg could delay tumor growth in female CB-17 SCID mice. This research helped to prompt the stability of thioether lenalidomide analogs, which paved the way for developing better molecules for treating multiple myeloma.

Nanomicellar Lenalidomide-Fenretinide Combination Suppresses Tumor Growth in an MYCN Amplified Neuroblastoma Tumor.

PURPOSE: In a previous study, we demonstrated that the combination of fenretinide with lenalidomide, administered by a novel nanomicellar formulation (FLM), provided a strong antitumor effect in a neuroblastoma TrkB-expressing tumor. In this study, we tested the nanomicellar combination in an MYCN amplified neuroblastoma xenograft to assess its efficacy in different tumor genotypes and evaluate the interactions of the nanomicelles with the tumor cells. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: FLM was administered to mice bearing human NLF xenografts to evaluate its efficacy in comparison with the nanomicelles containing fenretinide alone (FM). Confocal laser-scanning fluorescence microscopy images of the NLF cells treated with FLM and FM allowed us to estimate the nanomicelle ability to transport the encapsulated drugs inside the tumor cells. Flow cytometric analysis of the cells from treated tumors was performed to assess the effect of treatment on GD2 expression and NK cell infiltration. RESULTS: FLM and FM decreased the growth of NLF xenografts at comparable extents during the treatment period. Afterwards, FLM induced a progressive tumor regression without regrowth, while FM treatment was followed by regrowth within 15-20 days after the end of treatment. Both FLM and FM were able to penetrate the tumor cells transporting the encapsulated drugs. FLM transported higher amount of fenretinide inside the cells. Also, FLM treatment strongly increased GD2 expression in treated tumors and slightly decreased the NK infiltration compared to FM. CONCLUSION: FLM treatment induced a superior antitumor response than FM in NLF xenografts, presumably due to the combined effects of fenretinide cytotoxicity and lenalidomide antiangiogenic activity. The ability of FLM to penetrate tumor cells, transporting the encapsulated drugs, substantially improved the therapeutic efficiency of this system. Moreover, the enhancement of GD2 expression in FLM treated tumors offers the possibility to further increase the antitumor effect by the use of anti-GD2 CAR-T cells and anti-GD2 antibodies in combination with FLM in multimodal therapies.

A Buchwald-Hartwig Protocol to Enable Rapid Linker Exploration of Cereblon E3-Ligase PROTACs*.

A palladium-catalysed Buchwald-Hartwig amination for lenalidomide-derived aryl bromides was optimised using high throughput experimentation (HTE). The substrate scope of the optimised conditions was evaluated for a range of alkyl- and aryl- amines and functionalised aryl bromides. The methodology allows access to new cereblon-based bifunctional proteolysis targeting chimeras with a reduced step count and improved yields.

A Cell-Based Target Engagement Assay for the Identification of Cereblon E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Ligands and Their Application in HDAC6 Degraders.

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) is a paradigm shift for small-molecule drug discovery. However, limited E3 ubiquitin ligase ligands with cellular activity are available. In vitro binding assays involve the expression and purification of a large amount of proteins and they often yield ligands that are inactive in cell-based assays due to poor cell permeability, stability, and other reasons. Herein, we report the development of a practical and efficient cell-based target engagement assay to evaluate the binding affinity of a small library of cereblon ligands to its E3 ligase in cells. Selected cell-permeable E3 ligase ligands derived from this assay are then used to construct HDAC6 degraders with cellular protein degradation activity. Because the assay does not involve any genetic engineering, it is relatively easy to transfer from one cell type to a different one.

Discovery and biological evaluation of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) as an EGFR degraders based on osimertinib and lenalidomide.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the important and valuable drug targets. Overexpression of EGFR is associated with the development of many types of cancer. In this study, three PROTACs small molecules (16a-16c) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the growth in different NSCLC cell line and the degradation effect. The bioassay results indicated that 16c has a good inhibition in PC9 cells and H1975 cells, and the corresponding IC50 value was 0.413 µM and 0.657 µM, respectively. Western blotting results demonstrated that compound 16c could serve as an effective EGFRdel19-targeting degrader in PC9 cells.

Design and synthesis of new lenalidomide analogs via Suzuki cross-coupling reaction.

Lenalidomide is a cereblon modulator known for its antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties in clinical applications. Recently, some reported lenalidomide analogs could exhibit a significant bioactivity through various modifications in the isoindolinone ring. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel lenalidomide analogs on the basis of the installation of a methylene chain at the C-4 position of isoindolinone via the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. These new compounds were further evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against two tumor cell lines (MM.1S and Mino). Specifically, compound 4c displayed the strongest antiproliferative activity against the MM.1S (IC50 = 0.27 ± 0.03 µM) and Mino (IC50 = 5.65 ± 0.58 µM) tumor cell lines. In summary, we have developed a new synthetic strategy for C-4 derivatization of lenalidomide, providing a bioactive scaffold that could be used to discover further potential antitumor lead compounds in pharmaceutical research.

Discovery of a new class of PROTAC BRD4 degraders based on a dihydroquinazolinone derivative and lenalidomide/pomalidomide.

BRD4 has emerged as an attractive target for anticancer therapy. However, BRD4 inhibitors treatment leads to BRD4 protein accumulation, together with the reversible nature of inhibitors binding to BRD4, which may limit the efficacy of BRD4 inhibitors. To address these problems, a protein degradation strategy based on the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has been developed to target BRD4 recently. Herein, we present our design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new class of PROTAC BRD4 degraders, which were based on a potent dihydroquinazolinone-based BRD4 inhibitor compound 6 and lenalidomide/pomalidomide as ligand for E3 ligase cereblon. Gratifyingly, several compounds showed excellent inhibitory activity against BRD4, and high anti-proliferative potency against human monocyte lymphoma cell line THP-1. Especially, compound 21 (BRD4 BD1, IC50 = 41.8 nM) achieved a submicromolar IC50 value of 0.81 µM in inhibiting the growth of THP-1 cell line, and was 4 times more potent than compound 6. Moreover, the mechanism study established that 21 could effectively induce the degradation of BRD4 protein and suppression of c-Myc. All of these results suggested that 21 was an efficacious BRD4 degrader for further investigation.

Two new polymorphs and one dihydrate of lenalidomide: solid-state characterization study.

Purpose: Lenalidomide (LDM) is a blockbuster drug for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and contributed $ 6.974 billion in sales for Celgene in 2016. The aim of this research is to expand the crystal form landscape, characterize the physicochemical properties and thoroughly investigate the potential solid forms transformation for this famous drug. Materials and methods: In this study, a comprehensive solid-state screening was carried out. The physicochemical properties, stability and phase transformation were fully investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (solid state NMR) and Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis (IR). Finally the differences of dissolution behavior were compared through powder dissolution test. Results: Two new anhydrous forms (α and ß) and one new dihydrate form (DH) of LDM were discovered through a comprehensive solid-state screening experiment. The new discovered DH showed better stability under accelerated storage condition (40 °C/75% RH) and in most organic solvents than other forms. The new discovered form α exhibited faster dissolution rate in the early phase and larger apparent solubility than the currently marketed form. Conclusions: These new forms exhibit a new chance for drug development in view of their pharmaceutical properties and intellectual property.

Lenalidomide, a blockbuster drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma: Semipreparative separation through supercritical fluid chromatography and vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy.

Semipreparative separation of lenalidomide has been performed through supercritical fluid chromatography. In regard to retention and resolution of lenalidomide, effects of chromatographic conditions, such as chiral stationary phases, organic co-solvents, mobile phases, and column temperature, have been studied in detail. Amylose tris(3, 5-dimethylphenylcarbamate)-coated and the single-urea-bound ß-cyclodextrin chiral stationary phases exhibited good separation performances for lenalidomide in the CO2 /methanol mixture. Then, a comparative study of semipreparative separation of lenalidomide has been carried out on these two chiral stationary phases. As indicated, separation of lenalidomide on the ß-cyclodextrin-bound column was much better than the other. Under the optimized conditions, the loading per injection was 30 mg, the cycle time was 5 min, and the recoveries of two enantiomers were about 81.7 and 79.5%, respectively. Moreover, the vibrational circular dichroism spectrum of the first-eluted enantiomer in d6 -dimethylsulfoxide solution was consistent with the calculated pattern based on the S configuration, revealing that it should be (S)-(-)-lenalidomide. Briefly, this separation method through supercritical fluid chromatography might provide favorable information for rapid separation, enantioselective assessment, and absolute configurations of chiral pharmaceuticals.

Crbn I391V is sufficient to confer in vivo sensitivity to thalidomide and its derivatives in mice.

Thalidomide and its derivatives, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, are clinically effective treatments for multiple myeloma and myelodysplastic syndrome with del(5q). These molecules lack activity in murine models, limiting investigation of their therapeutic activity or toxicity in vivo. Here, we report the development of a mouse model that is sensitive to thalidomide derivatives because of a single amino acid change in the direct target of thalidomide derivatives, cereblon (Crbn). In human cells, thalidomide and its analogs bind CRBN and recruit protein targets to the CRL4CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase, resulting in their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. We show that mice with a single I391V amino acid change in Crbn exhibit thalidomide-induced degradation of drug targets previously identified in human cells, including Ikaros (Ikzf1), Aiolos (Ikzf3), Zfp91, and casein kinase 1a1 (Ck1α), both in vitro and in vivo. We use the Crbn I391V model to demonstrate that the in vivo therapeutic activity of lenalidomide in del(5q) myelodysplastic syndrome can be explained by heterozygous expression of Ck1α in del(5q) cells. We found that lenalidomide acts on hematopoietic stem cells with heterozygous expression of Ck1α and inactivation of Trp53 causes lenalidomide resistance. We further demonstrate that Crbn I391V is sufficient to confer thalidomide-induced fetal loss in mice, capturing a major toxicity of this class of drugs. Further study of the Crbn I391V model will provide valuable insights into the in vivo efficacy and toxicity of this class of drugs.

A Cereblon Modulator (CC-220) with Improved Degradation of Ikaros and Aiolos.

The drugs lenalidomide and pomalidomide bind to the protein cereblon, directing the CRL4-CRBN E3 ligase toward the transcription factors Ikaros and Aiolos to cause their ubiquitination and degradation. Here we describe CC-220 (compound 6), a cereblon modulator in clinical development for systemic lupus erythematosis and relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Compound 6 binds cereblon with a higher affinity than lenalidomide or pomalidomide. Consistent with this, the cellular degradation of Ikaros and Aiolos is more potent and the extent of substrate depletion is greater. The crystal structure of cereblon in complex with DDB1 and compound 6 reveals that the increase in potency correlates with increased contacts between compound 6 and cereblon away from the modeled binding site for Ikaros/Aiolos. These results describe a new cereblon modulator which achieves greater substrate degradation via tighter binding to the cereblon E3 ligase and provides an example of the effect of E3 ligase binding affinity with relevance to other drug discovery efforts in targeted protein degradation.