SuFEx Click Chemistry Enabled Late-Stage Drug Functionalization

J Am Chem Soc. 2018 Feb 28;140(8):2919-2925. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b12788. Epub 2018 Feb 16.

Abstract

Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) is a new family of click chemistry transformations which relies on readily available materials to produce compounds bearing the SVI-F motif. The potential of SuFEx in drug discovery has just started to be explored. We report the first method of SuFEx chemistry for the conversion of phenolic compounds to their respective arylfluorosulfate derivatives in situ in 96-well plates. This method is compatible with automated synthesis and screening to quickly assess the biological activities of the in situ generated, crude products. Using this method, we perform late-stage functionalization of a panel of known anticancer drugs to generate the corresponding arylfluorosulfates. These in situ generated arylfluorosulfates are directly tested in a cancer-cell growth inhibition assay in parallel with their phenolic precursors. We discover three arylfluorosulfates that exhibit improved anticancer cell proliferation activities compared to their phenol precursors. Among these three compounds, the fluorosulfate derivative of Fulvestrant possesses significantly enhanced activity to down-regulate estrogen receptor (ER) expression in ER+ breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and the fluorosulfate derivative of Combretastatin A4-a general anticancer drug currently being evaluated under clinical trials-exhibits a 70-fold increase in potency in the drug resistant colon cancer cell line HT-29.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Click Chemistry
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Fluorides / chemistry
  • Fluorides / pharmacology*
  • HT29 Cells
  • Humans
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Molecular Structure
  • Receptors, Estrogen / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Estrogen / biosynthesis
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfur / chemistry
  • Sulfur / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Receptors, Estrogen
  • Sulfur
  • Fluorides