Design, synthesis, and biological activity evaluation of a series of novel sulfonamide derivatives as BRD4 inhibitors against acute myeloid leukemia

Bioorg Chem. 2021 Jun:111:104849. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104849. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Abstract

Accumulating researches have contributed much effect to discover novel chemotherapeutic drug for leukemia with expeditious curative effect, of which bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor is considered as a eutherapeutic drug which has presented efficient cell proliferation suppression effect. In this study, we disclosed a series of phenylisoxazole sulfonamide derivatives as potent BRD4 inhibitors. Especially, compound 58 exhibited robust inhibitory potency toward BRD4-BD1 and BRD4-BD2 with IC50 values of 70 and 140 nM, respectively. In addition, compound 58 significantly suppressed cell proliferation of leukemia cell lines HL-60 and MV4-11 with IC50 values of 1.21 and 0.15 μM. In-depth study of the biological mechanism of compound 58 exerted its tumor suppression effect via down-regulating the level of oncogene c-myc. Moreover, in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) study was conducted and the results demonstrated better pharmacokinetics features versus (+)-JQ1. In summary, our study discovers that compound 58 represents as a novel BRD4 inhibitor for further investigation in development of leukemia inhibitor with potentiality.

Keywords: BRD4; Bromodomain; C-myc; Inhibitor; Leukemia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfonamides / chemical synthesis
  • Sulfonamides / chemistry
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology*
  • Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • BRD4 protein, human
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Sulfonamides
  • Transcription Factors