Binding pocket-based design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel selective BRD4-BD1 inhibitors. Issue 9 (1st May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ma, Junlong; Chen, Heng; Yang, Jie; Yu, Zutao; Huang, Pan; Yang, Haofeng; Zheng, Bifeng; Liu, Rangru; Li, Qianbin; Hu, Gaoyun; Chen, Zhuo
• Is Part Of: Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry. Volume 27:Issue 9(2019)
• Page Start: 1871
• Page End: 1881
• Publication Date: 2019-05-01
• Subjects: BRD4 -- BD1 inhibitor -- Cancer -- Fibrosis -- Computer-aided drug design -- Structure-activity relationship; Bioorganic chemistry -- Periodicals; Pharmaceutical chemistry -- Periodicals; Biochemistry -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Clinical -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Organic -- Periodicals; Chimie bio-organique -- Périodiques; Chimie pharmaceutique -- Périodiques; 615.19
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.03.037
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0968-0896

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), consisting of two tandem bromodomains (BD1 and BD2), is key epigenetic regulator in fibrosis and cancer, which has been reported that BD1 and BD2 have distinct roles in post-translational modification. But there are few selective inhibitors toward those two domains. Herein, this study designed and synthesized a series of novel selective BRD4-BD1 inhibitors, using computer-aided drug design (CADD) approach focused on exploring the difference of the binding pockets of BD1 and BD2, and finding the His437 a crucial way to achieve BRD4-BD1 selectivity. Our results revealed that the compound3u is a potent selective BRD4-BD1 inhibitor with IC50 values of 0.56 μM for BD1 but >100 μM for BD2. The compound exhibited a broad spectrum of anti-proliferative activity against several human cancer and fibroblastic cell lines, which might be related to its capability of reducing the expression of c-Myc and collagen I. Furthermore, it could induce apoptosis in A375 cells. To the contrary, the selective BD2 inhibitor, RVX-208, did not indicate any of these activities. Our findings highlight that the function of BRD4-BD1 might be predominant in fibrosis and cancer. And it is rational to further develop novel selective BRD4-BD1 inhibitors.