Discovery of LLC0424 as a Potent and Selective in Vivo NSD2 PROTAC Degrader

J Med Chem. 2024 May 9;67(9):6938-6951. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01765. Epub 2024 Apr 30.

Abstract

Nuclear receptor-binding SET domain-containing 2 (NSD2), a methyltransferase that primarily installs the dimethyl mark on lysine 36 of histone 3 (H3K36me2), has been recognized as a promising therapeutic target against cancer. However, existing NSD2 inhibitors suffer from low activity or inferior selectivity, and none of them can simultaneously remove the methyltransferase activity and chromatin binding function of NSD2. Herein we report the discovery of a novel NSD2 degrader LLC0424 by leveraging the proteolysis-targeting chimera technology. LLC0424 potently degraded NSD2 protein with a DC50 value of 20 nM and a Dmax value of 96% in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) RPMI-8402 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed LLC0424 to selectively induce NSD2 degradation in a cereblon- and proteasome-dependent fashion. LLC0424 also caused continuous downregulation of H3K36me2 and growth inhibition of ALL cell lines with NSD2 mutation. Importantly, intravenous or intraperitoneal injection of LLC0424 showed potent NSD2 degradation in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Drug Discovery
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase* / metabolism
  • Histones / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Proteolysis* / drug effects
  • Repressor Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism

Substances

  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • NSD2 protein, human
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • CRBN protein, human
  • Histones