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Leopold, J. S.; Herrera, R. Nat. Rev. Cancer 2004, 4, 937; (c) Montagut, C.;
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S.; Shi, L.; Halkowycz, P.; Dong, Q. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2010, 20, 4156.
4. Protein Data Bank code is 3MBL for the X-ray co-crystal structure of compound
1 in the MEK allosteric site.
5. (a) Barrett, S. D.; Bridges, A. J.; Flamme, C. M.; Kaufam, M.; Doherty, A. M.;
Kennedy, R. M.; Marston, D.; Howard, W. A.; Smith, Y.; Warmus, J. S.; Tecle, H.;
Dudley, D. T.; Saltiel, A. R.; Fergus, J. H.; Delaney, A. M.; Lepage, S.; Leopold, W.
R.; Przybranowski, S. A.; Sebolt-Leopold, J.; Van Becelaere, K. Bioorg. Med. Chem.
Lett. 2008, 18, 6501; (b) Warmus, J. S.; Flamme, C.; Zhang, L. Y.; Barrrett, S.;
Bridges, A.; Kaufman, M.; Tecle, H.; Gowan, R.; Sebolt-Leopold, J.; Leopold, W.;
Merriman, R.; Przybranowski, S.; Valik, H.; Chen, J.; Ohren, J.; Pavlovsky, A.;
Whithead, C.; Ahang, E. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2008, 18, 6171.
-
10 mpk 30 mpk 1.0 mpk 3.0 mpk 10 mpk
17 17 33 33 33
Vehicle
Figure 2. Pharmacodynamic data of compounds 17 and 33 in human colon
adenocarcinoma HT-29 tumors at 4 h.
6. Full experimental procedures for compounds 8–19 are contained within the
following patent application: Adams, M. E.; Dong, Q.; Kaldor, S. W.; Stafford, J.
A.; Wallace, M. B. PCT Int. Patent Appl. WO 08/148034, 2008.
7. Danswan, G.; Kennewell, P. D.; Tully, W. R. J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1989, 26, 293.
8. Harmata, M.; Bohnert, G.; Kurti, L.; Barnes, C. Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43, 2347.
9. Sha, C.-K.; Ho, W.-Y. J. Chin. Chem. Soc. 1999, 46, 469.
Rx: QD (12-25) PO
1000
10. MEK1 enzyme assay: Inhibition of compounds relative to MEK1 were
determined using a cascade assay method in 384 well format under the
following reaction conditions: Test compounds serial diluted in DMSO were
diluted into assay buffer (50 mM HEPES pH 7.3, 10 mM NaCl, 10 mM MgCl2,
0.01% Brij35, 1 mM DTT) and added into ERK1, fluorescent labeled ERK1
substrate: IPTTPITTYFFFK-5FAM-COOH, and the reaction was initiated with
1 nM MEK1 and 400 lM ATP or 10 lM ATP. Reaction product was determined
100
quantitatively by fluorescent polarization using progressive IMAP beads from
Molecular Devices. Inhibition constants (IC50) were calculated using standard
mathematical models. An ERK1 assay was also conducted to rule out that
inhibition was due to ERK1 in the cascade assay. Since all compounds tested
Control
showed almost identical IC50 when assayed at 400
lM or 10 lM ATP, only IC50
7/10 CR
results assayed at 400 M ATP were listed. Based on KmATP for MEK1 at 20 lM
l
33 (10 mg/kg)
determined using direct assay method (not shown), no potency shift when
compounds were assayed at 10 Â Km and 0.5 Â Km ATP concentration indicated
compounds were not ATP competitive inhibitors.
10
10
15
20
25
11. A375 and Colo205 EC50s were generated using a cellular colorimetric MTS assay
which measures newly produced NADH: Briefly, human cancer cell lines were
seeded between 3000 and 10,000 cells per 96 well and incubated for 16 h in a
humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere incubator at 37 °C. Cells were then incubated
with an eleven point dilution of test compound in duplicate for 72 h and
subsequently assayed for NADH levels via the CellTiter 96-AQueousÒ kit
(Promega) which utilizes a MTS tetrazolium salt conversion. The resulting
colorimetric reaction was read on a spectrophotometer (Molecular Devices) at
OD 490 nM and EC50 values of compound concentration versus total NADH
levels were calculated in Activity Base (IDBS). It is important to note the A375
and Colo205 cell lines both posses the BRAF(V600E) mutation making them
reliant upon MEK signaling for survival. All compounds listed were also tested
against the PC3 cell line whose survival is independent of MEK signaling and
served as a control for MEK inhibitory selectivity. The EC50s generated for all
compounds listed were at a minimum 50-fold higher in the PC3 cell line.
12. (a) Spicer, J. A.; Rewcastle, G. W.; Kaufman, M. D.; Black, S. L.; Plummer, M. S.;
Denny, W. A.; Quin, J.; Shahripour, A. B.; Barrett, S. D.; Whitehead, C. E.;
Milbank, J. B. J.; Ohren, J. F.; Gowan, R. C.; Omer, C.; Camp, H. S.; Esmaeil, N.;
Moore, K.; Sebolt-Leopold, J. S.; Pryzbranowski, S.; Merriman, R. L.; Ortwine, D.
F.; Warmus, J. S.; Flamme, C. M.; Pavlovsky, A. G.; Tecle, H. J. Med. Chem. 2007,
50, 5090; (b) Wallace, E. M.; Lyssikatos, J.; Blake, J. F.; Seo, J.; Yang, H. W.; Yeh,
T. C.; Perrier, M.; Jarski, H.; Marsh, V.; Poch, G.; Livingston, M. G.; Otten, J.;
Hingorani, G.; Woessner, R.; Lee, P.; Winkler, J.; Koch, K. J. Med. Chem. 2006, 49,
441.
Day Post Tumor Implant
Figure 3. HL-60 (NRAS) xenograft response at MTD for compound 33.
gave a p-ERK-1/2 inhibition dose response with nearly complete
4-h biomarker suppression at 3.0 mpk that correlated with com-
pound plasma concentration. An HL-60 xenograft study was
conducted with compound 33 at the maximum tolerable dose
(Fig. 3). Daily oral administration of 10 mpk of 33 induced signifi-
cant tumor regression in the promyelocytic leukemia xenograft
model.
In summary, we designed and synthesized dihydroindolone and
dihydroindolizinone analogs as potent and selective MEK inhibi-
tors. Optimization of the series led to compounds that are orally
bioavailable and efficacious in tumor xenograft models. Further
evaluation of lead compounds as pre-clinical candidates is ongoing.
13. (a) Full experimental procedures for compounds 27–34 are contained within
the following patent application: Adams, M.E.; Dong, Q.; Kaldor, S.W.; Kanouni,
T.; Scorah, N.; Wallace, M.B. PCT Int. Patent Appl. WO 09/064675, 2009.; (b)
Adams, M.E.; Dong, Q.; Kaldor, S.W.; Kanouni, T.; Scorah, N.; Wallace, M. B U.S.
Patent Appl. 09/0124595, 2009.
14. (a) Chikkanna, D.; McCarthy, C.; Moebitz, H.; Pandit, C.; Sistla, R.; Subramanya,
H. U.S. Patent Appl. 09/0275606, 2009.; (b) Waykole, L.M.; Karpinski, P.H. PCT
Int. Patent Appl. WO 11/067348, 2011.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the following scientists for their valuable
assistance: Melinda Manuel, Victoria A. Feher, Jeffrey A. Stafford,
Stephen W. Kaldor, Patrick Vincent and Keith Wilson.
15. Caliskan, E.; Cameron, D. W.; Griffiths, P. G. Aust. J. Chem. 1999, 52, 1013.
16. Cusack, K.; Salmeron-Garcia, J.-A.; Gordon, T. D.; Barberis, C. E.; Allen, H. J.;
Bischoff, A. K.; Ericsson, A. M.; Friedman, M. M.; George, D. M.; Roth, G. P.;
Talanian, R. V.; Thomas, C.; Wallace, G. A.; Wishart, N.; Yu, Z. PCT Int. Patent
Appl. WO 05/110410, 2005.
References and notes
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17. Compounds were administered intravenously and orally at 1 and 5 mg/kg,
respectively.
18. Kinase panel: Abl1, AKT3, c-RAF, CamK1
D
, CDK2/cyclinA, cMet, cSRC, EGFR,
GSK3b, IR, JAK3, P38 , PDGFRb, PDK1, PKC
a
a, PLK3, Syk, Tie2.