Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of the First Inhibitors of Oncogenic CHD1L

J Med Chem. 2022 Mar 10;65(5):3943-3961. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01778. Epub 2022 Feb 22.

Abstract

Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 1 like (CHD1L) is an oncogene implicated in tumor progression, multidrug resistance, and metastasis in many types of cancer. In this article, we described the optimization of the first lead CHD1L inhibitors (CHD1Li) through drug design and medicinal chemistry. More than 30 CHD1Li were synthesized and evaluated using a variety of colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor organoid models and functional assays. The results led to the prioritization of six lead CHD1Li analogues with improved potency, antitumor activity, and drug-like properties including metabolic stability and in vivo pharmacokinetics. Furthermore, lead CHD1Li 6.11 proved to be an orally bioavailable antitumor agent, significantly reducing the tumor volume of CRC xenografts generated from isolated quasi mesenchymal cells (M-phenotype), which possess enhanced tumorigenic properties. In conclusion, we reported the optimization of first-in-class inhibitors of oncogenic CHD1L as a novel therapeutic strategy with potential for the treatment of cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Carcinogenesis / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA Helicases* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Oncogenes

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • DNA Helicases
  • CHD1L protein, human