Inhibitors of the Hippo Pathway Kinases STK3/MST2 and STK4/MST1 Have Utility for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

J Med Chem. 2022 Jan 27;65(2):1352-1369. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00804. Epub 2021 Nov 22.

Abstract

Serine/threonine-protein kinases 3 and 4 (STK3 and STK4, respectively) are key components of the Hippo signaling pathway, which regulates cell proliferation and death and provides a potential therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Herein, we report the structure-based design of a series of pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives as STK3 and STK4 inhibitors. In an initial screen, the compounds exhibited low nanomolar potency against both STK3 and STK4. Crystallization of compound 6 with STK4 revealed two-point hinge binding in the ATP-binding pocket. Further characterization and analysis demonstrated that compound 20 (SBP-3264) specifically inhibited the Hippo signaling pathway in cultured mammalian cells and possessed favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in mice. We show that genetic knockdown and pharmacological inhibition of STK3 and STK4 suppress the proliferation of AML cells in vitro. Thus, SBP-3264 is a valuable chemical probe for understanding the roles of STK3 and STK4 in AML and is a promising candidate for further advancement as a potential therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Female
  • Hippo Signaling Pathway / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Serine-Threonine Kinase 3 / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • STK4 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • STK3 protein, human
  • Serine-Threonine Kinase 3