Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of HSP90 Inhibitor-SN38 Conjugates for Targeted Drug Accumulation

J Med Chem. 2020 May 28;63(10):5421-5441. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00305. Epub 2020 May 11.

Abstract

Herein, a series of HSP90 inhibitor-SN38 conjugates through ester and carbamate linkage in the 20-OH and 10-OH positions of SN38 were developed for improving the tumor-specific penetration and accumulation of SN38 via extracellular HSP90 (eHSP90)-mediated endocytosis. Mechanistic analyses confirmed that these novel conjugates could bind to eHSP90 and be selectively internalized into the tumor cells, which led to prolonged tumor regression in multiple models of cancer. Among all studied conjugates, compound 18b showed excellent in vitro activities, including acceptable HSP90α affinity and potent antitumor activity. Moreover, compound 18b exhibited superior antitumor activity and low toxicity in HCT116 and Capan-1 xenograft models. Pharmacokinetic analyses in HCT116 and Capan-1 xenografts further confirmed that compound 18b treatment could lead to effective cleavage and extended SN38 exposure at tumor sites. All these encouraging data indicate that this compound is a promising new candidate for cancer therapy and merits further chemical and biological evaluation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Drug Design
  • HCT116 Cells
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Irinotecan / administration & dosage*
  • Irinotecan / chemical synthesis*
  • Irinotecan / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays / methods

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Irinotecan