Development of Alectinib-Based PROTACs as Novel Potent Degraders of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK)

J Med Chem. 2021 Jul 8;64(13):9120-9140. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00270. Epub 2021 Jun 28.

Abstract

A series of novel anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) degraders were designed and synthesized based on proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology by linking two alectinib analogs (36 and 37) with pomalidomide through linkers of different lengths and types. The most promising degrader 17 possessed a high ALK-binding affinity and potent antiproliferative activity in the ALK-dependent cell lines and did not exhibit obvious cytotoxicity in ALK fusion-negative cells. More importantly, the efficacy of compound 17 in a Karpas 299 xenograft mouse model was further evaluated based on its ALK-sustained degradation ability in vivo. The reduction in tumor weight in the compound 17-treated group (10 mg/kg/day, I.V.) reached 75.82%, while alectinib reduced tumor weight by 63.82% at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day (P.O.). Taken together, our findings suggest that alectinib-based PROTACs associated with the degradation of ALK may have promising beneficial effects for treating ALK-driven malignancies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Carbazoles / chemistry
  • Carbazoles / pharmacology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Development*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / metabolism
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / pathology
  • Piperidines / chemistry
  • Piperidines / pharmacology*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Proteolysis / drug effects
  • Rats
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Carbazoles
  • Piperidines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • ALK protein, human
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • alectinib