Pharmaceutics (Dec 2022)

Design, Synthesis and In Vitro Investigation of Cabozantinib-Based PROTACs to Target c-Met Kinase

  • Anastasia A. Sachkova,
  • Daria V. Andreeva,
  • Alexander S. Tikhomirov,
  • Alexander M. Scherbakov,
  • Diana I. Salnikova,
  • Danila V. Sorokin,
  • Fedor B. Bogdanov,
  • Yulia D. Rysina,
  • Andrey E. Shchekotikhin,
  • Ekaterina S. Shchegravina,
  • Alexey Yu. Fedorov

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122829
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 12
p. 2829

Abstract

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(1) Background: This investigation aimed at developing a series of c-Met-targeting cabozantinib-based PROTACs. (2) Methods: Purification of intermediate and target compounds was performed using column chromatography, in vitro antiproliferation activity was measured using a standard MTT assay and a c-Met degradation assay was performed via the immunoblotting technique. (3) Results: Several compounds exhibited antiproliferative activity towards different cell lines of breast cancer (T47D, MDA-MB-231, SKBR3, HCC1954 and MCF7) at the same level as parent cabozantinib and 7-demethyl cabozantinib. Two target conjugates, bearing a VHL-ligand as an E3-ligase binding moiety and glycol-based linkers, exhibited the effective inhibition of c-Met phosphorylation and an ability to decrease the level of c-Met in HCC1954 cells at micromolar concentrations. (4) Conclusions: Two compounds exhibit c-Met inhibition activity in the nanomolar range and can be considered as PROTAC molecules due to their ability to decrease the total level of c-Met in HCC1954 cells. The structures of the offered compounds can be used as starting points for further evaluation of cabozantinib-based PROTACs.

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