Studies leading to potent, dual inhibitors of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL

M Bruncko, TK Oost, BA Belli, H Ding… - Journal of medicinal …, 2007 - ACS Publications
M Bruncko, TK Oost, BA Belli, H Ding, MK Joseph, A Kunzer, D Martineau, WJ McClellan…
Journal of medicinal chemistry, 2007ACS Publications
Overexpression of the antiapototic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL provides a common mechanism
through which cancer cells gain a survival advantage and become resistant to conventional
chemotherapy. Inhibition of these prosurvival proteins is an attractive strategy for cancer
therapy. We recently described the discovery of a selective Bcl-xL antagonist that potentiates
the antitumor activity of chemotherapy and radiation. Here we describe the use of structure-
guided design to exploit a deep hydrophobic binding pocket on the surface of these proteins …
Overexpression of the antiapototic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL provides a common mechanism through which cancer cells gain a survival advantage and become resistant to conventional chemotherapy. Inhibition of these prosurvival proteins is an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. We recently described the discovery of a selective Bcl-xL antagonist that potentiates the antitumor activity of chemotherapy and radiation. Here we describe the use of structure-guided design to exploit a deep hydrophobic binding pocket on the surface of these proteins to develop the first dual, subnanomolar inhibitors of Bcl-xL and Bcl-2. This study culminated in the identification of 2, which exhibited EC50 values of 8 nM and 30 nM in Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL dependent cells, respectively. Compound 2 demonstrated single agent efficacy against human follicular lymphoma cell lines that overexpress Bcl-2, and efficacy in a murine xenograft model of lymphoma when given both as a single agent and in combination with etoposide.
ACS Publications