Highly Selective, Potent, and Oral mTOR Inhibitor for Treatment of Cancer as Autophagy Inducer

J Med Chem. 2018 Feb 8;61(3):881-904. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01402. Epub 2018 Jan 27.

Abstract

On the basis of novel pyrazino[2,3-c]quinolin-2(1H)-one scaffold, we designed and identified a highly selective, potent and oral mTOR inhibitor, 9m. Compound 9m showed low nanomolar activity against mTOR (IC50 = 7 nM) and greater selectivity over the related PIKK family kinases, which demonstrated only modest activity against 3 out of the 409 protein kinases. In vitro assays, compound 9m exhibited high potency against human breast and cervical cancer cells and induced tumor cell cycle arrest and autophagy. 9m inhibited cellular phosphorylation of mTORC1 (pS6 and p4E-BP1) and mTORC2 (pAKT (S473)) substrates. In T-47D xenograft mouse model, oral administration of compound 9m led to significant tumor regression without obvious toxicity. In addition, this compound showed good pharmacokinetics. Collectively, due to its high potency and selectivity, compound 9m could be used as a mTOR drug candidate.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Autophagy / drug effects*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Domains
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / chemistry

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • MTOR protein, human
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases