Selective Elimination of Senescent Cancer Cells by Galacto-Modified PROTACs

J Med Chem. 2024 May 9;67(9):7301-7311. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00152. Epub 2024 Apr 18.

Abstract

Although the selective and effective clearance of senescent cancer cells can improve cancer treatment, their development is confronted by many challenges. As part of efforts designed to overcome these problems, prodrugs, whose design is based on senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal), have been developed to selectively eliminate senescent cells. However, chemotherapies relying on targeted molecular inhibitors as senolytic drugs can induce drug resistance. In the current investigation, we devised a new strategy for selective degradation of target proteins in senescent cancer cells that utilizes a prodrug composed of the SA-β-gal substrate galactose (galacto) and the proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) as senolytic agents. Prodrugs Gal-ARV-771 and Gal-MS99 were found to display senolytic indexes higher than those of ARV-771 and MS99. Significantly, results of in vivo studies utilizing a human lung A549 xenograft mouse model demonstrated that concomitant treatment with etoposide and Gal-ARV-771 leads to a significant inhibition of tumor growth without eliciting significant toxicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • A549 Cells
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cellular Senescence* / drug effects
  • Etoposide / pharmacology
  • Galactose* / chemistry
  • Galactose* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Prodrugs* / chemistry
  • Prodrugs* / pharmacology
  • Prodrugs* / therapeutic use
  • Proteolysis Targeting Chimera
  • Proteolysis* / drug effects
  • Senotherapeutics / chemistry
  • Senotherapeutics / pharmacology
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • beta-Galactosidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Galactose
  • Prodrugs
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • beta-Galactosidase
  • Etoposide
  • Senotherapeutics
  • Proteolysis Targeting Chimera