Discovery of 2-Methyl-2-(4-(2-methyl-8-(1 H-pyrrolo[2,3- b]pyridin-6-yl)-1 H-naphtho[1,2- d]imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)propanenitrile as a Novel PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor with Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy In Vitro and In Vivo

J Med Chem. 2022 Oct 13;65(19):12781-12801. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00572. Epub 2022 Oct 3.

Abstract

PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is a validated drug target for cancer treatment that plays a critical role in controlling tumor growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. However, no FDA-approved PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor exists. Thus, a candidate with a better curative effect and lower toxicity is still urgently needed. Herein, we design, synthesize, and evaluate compounds belonging to a novel series of 2-methyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinoline scaffold derivatives as PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors. Among them, compound 8o was identified as a novel candidate with excellent kinase selectivity. It manifested remarkable antiproliferative activities against SW620 and HeLa cells. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis results proved that 8o could regulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT and S6 proteins. Additionally, 8o presented a favorable pharmacokinetic property (oral bioavailability of 76.8%) and significant antitumor efficacy in vivo without obvious toxicity. Collectively, these results indicated that 8o is a promising agent for cancer treatment and merits further development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents* / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • MTOR Inhibitors
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases* / metabolism
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • MTOR Inhibitors
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases