Optimisation of estrogen receptor subtype-selectivity of a 4-Aryl-4H-chromene scaffold previously identified by virtual screening
作者:Miriam Carr、Andrew J.S. Knox、Daniel K. Nevin、Niamh O'Boyle、Shu Wang、Billy Egan、Thomas McCabe、Brendan Twamley、Daniela M. Zisterer、David G. Lloyd、Mary J. Meegan
DOI:10.1016/j.bmc.2019.115261
日期:2020.3
4-Aryl-4H-Chromene derivatives have been previously shown to exhibit anti-proliferative, apoptotic and anti-angiogenic activity in a variety of tumor models in vitro and in vivo generally via activation of caspases through inhibition of tubulin polymerisation. We have previously identified by Virtual Screening (VS) a 4-aryl-4H-chromene scaffold, of which two examples were shown to bind Estrogen Receptor alpha and beta with low nanomolar affinity and <20-fold selectivity for alpha over beta and low micromolar anti-proliferative activity in the MCF-7 cell line. Thus, using the 4-aryl-4H-chromene scaffold as a starting point, a series of compounds with a range of basic arylethers at C-4 and modifications at the C3-ester substituent of the benzopyran ring were synthesised, producing some potent ER antagonists in the MCF-7 cell line which were highly selective for ERa (compound 35; 350-fold selectivity) or ER beta (compound 42; 170-fold selectivity).