Discovery of a Novel Class of PROTACs as Potent and Selective Estrogen Receptor α Degraders to Overcome Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo

J Med Chem. 2023 May 25;66(10):6631-6651. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02032. Epub 2023 May 10.

Abstract

The estrogen receptor (ER) is a well-established target for endocrine therapies of ER-positive breast cancer (ER+ BC), but endocrine resistance limits the efficacy of clinical drugs. Using proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology to degrade ERα may be an effective alternative to endocrine therapies. Herein, we disclose a novel series of potent and selective ERα PROTACs based on an oxabicycloheptane sulfonamide (OBHSA) scaffold, with no associated ERβ degradation. These PROTACs showed significant antiproliferation and ERα degradation activities against a broad spectrum of ER+ BC cells including tamoxifen-resistant and ERα mutant cell lines. Genomics analysis confirmed that these PROTACs inhibited the nascent RNA synthesis of ERα target genes and impaired genome-wide ERα binding. Compound ZD12 exhibited excellent antitumor potency and ERα degradation activity in both tamoxifen-sensitive and -resistant BC mice models, which are superior to fulvestrant. This study demonstrates the potential of these PROTACs as novel drug candidates for endocrine-resistant BC treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
  • Estrogen Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Estrogen Antagonists / therapeutic use
  • Estrogen Receptor alpha* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mice
  • Proteolysis Targeting Chimera
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology
  • Tamoxifen / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Estrogen Receptor alpha
  • Proteolysis Targeting Chimera
  • Estrogen Antagonists
  • Tamoxifen
  • Receptors, Estrogen