German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) partner site Freiburg German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Department of Urology, Breisacherstrasse 66, 79016, Freiburg, Germany.
ChemMedChem. 2021 May 6;16(9):1391-1402. doi: 10.1002/cmdc.202000972. Epub 2021 Mar 10.
Targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with small-molecule inhibitors has become a hotbed of modern drug development. In this review, we describe a new class of PPI inhibitors that block menin from binding to MLL proteins. Menin is encoded by the MEN1 tumor suppressor, but acts as an essential cofactor for MLL/KMT2A-rearranged leukemias. The most promising menin-MLL inhibitors belong to the thienopyrimidine class and have recently entered phase I/II clinical trials for treating acute leukemias characterized by MLL/KMT2A translocations or NPM1 mutations. As single agents, thienopyrimidine compounds eradicate leukemia in a xenograft models of primary leukemic cells belonging to the MLL-rearranged or NPM1-mutant subtypes. These compounds are well tolerated with few or no side effects, which is remarkable given the tumor-suppressor function of menin. The menin-MLL inhibitors highlight how leukemia patients could benefit from a targeted epigenetic therapy with novel PPI inhibitors obtained by directed chemical evolution.
靶向蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用(PPIs)的小分子抑制剂已成为现代药物开发的热点。在这篇综述中,我们描述了一类新型的 PPI 抑制剂,它能阻止 Menin 与 MLL 蛋白结合。Menin 由 MEN1 肿瘤抑制基因编码,但作为 MLL/KMT2A 重排白血病的必需辅助因子发挥作用。最有前途的 Menin-MLL 抑制剂属于噻吩嘧啶类,最近已进入 I/II 期临床试验,用于治疗以 MLL/KMT2A 易位或 NPM1 突变为特征的急性白血病。作为单一药物,噻吩嘧啶化合物在属于 MLL 重排或 NPM1 突变亚型的原代白血病细胞的异种移植模型中能根除白血病。这些化合物具有良好的耐受性,几乎没有或没有副作用,这在 Menin 的肿瘤抑制功能下是显著的。Menin-MLL 抑制剂强调了如何通过定向化学进化获得新型 PPI 抑制剂的靶向表观遗传疗法,使白血病患者受益。