2. Academic Validation
  3. Discovery of novel 4-azaaryl-N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives as potent and selective FLT3 inhibitors for acute myeloid leukaemia with FLT3 mutations

Discovery of novel 4-azaaryl-N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives as potent and selective FLT3 inhibitors for acute myeloid leukaemia with FLT3 mutations

  • Eur J Med Chem. 2021 Mar 5:213:113215. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113215.
Yi Long 1,  Mingfeng Yu 1,  Aleksandra M Ochnik 1,  Jasmine D Karanjia 1,  Sunita Kc Basnet 1,  Alemwork A Kebede 1,  Lianmeng Kou 1,  Shudong Wang 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.
  • 2 Drug Discovery and Development, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia. Electronic address: shudong.wang@unisa.edu.au.
PMID: 33516985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113215
Abstract

Feline McDonough sarcoma (FMS)-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is one of the most pursued targets in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) as its gene amplification and mutations, particularly internal tandem duplication (ITD), contribute to the pathogenesis of AML and the resistance to known FLT3 inhibitors. To conquer this challenge, there is a quest for structurally novel FLT3 inhibitors. Herein, we report the discovery of a new series of 4-azaaryl-N-phenylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives as potent and selective FLT3 inhibitors. Compounds 12b and 12r were capable of suppressing a wide range of mutated FLT3 kinases including ITD and D835Y mutants; the latter isoform is closely associated with acquired drug resistance. In addition, both compounds displayed an anti-proliferative specificity for FLT3-ITD-harbouring cell lines (i.e., MV4-11 and MOLM-13 cells) over those with expression of the wild-type kinase or even without FLT3 expression. In mechanistic studies using MV4-11 cells, 12b was found to diminish the phosphorylation of key downstream effectors of FLT3 and induce Apoptosis, supporting an FLT3-ITD-targeted mechanism of its anti-proliferative action.

Keywords

AML; Anti-AML drug discovery; FLT3 inhibitor; FLT3-D835Y; FLT3-ITD.

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