1. Academic Validation
  2. Selective Aurora A-TPX2 Interaction Inhibitors Have In Vivo Efficacy as Targeted Antimitotic Agents

Selective Aurora A-TPX2 Interaction Inhibitors Have In Vivo Efficacy as Targeted Antimitotic Agents

  • J Med Chem. 2024 Sep 12;67(17):15521-15536. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01165.
Simon R Stockwell 1 Duncan E Scott 2 Gerhard Fischer 3 Estrella Guarino 1 Timothy P C Rooney 2 Tzu-Shean Feng 2 Tommaso Moschetti 3 Rajavel Srinivasan 2 Esther Alza 2 Alice Asteian 2 Claudio Dagostin 2 Anna Alcaide 2 Mathieu Rocaboy 3 Beata Blaszczyk 3 Alicia Higueruelo 3 Xuelu Wang 3 Maxim Rossmann 3 Trevor R Perrior Tom L Blundell 3 David R Spring 2 Grahame McKenzie 1 Chris Abell 2 John Skidmore 2 Ashok R Venkitaraman 1 Marko Hyvönen 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Medical Research Council Cancer Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XZ, U.K.
  • 2 Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
  • 3 Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1GA, U.K.
Abstract

Aurora A kinase, a cell division regulator, is frequently overexpressed in various cancers, provoking genome instability and resistance to antimitotic chemotherapy. Localization and enzymatic activity of Aurora A are regulated by its interaction with the spindle assembly factor TPX2. We have used fragment-based, structure-guided lead discovery to develop small molecule inhibitors of the Aurora A-TPX2 protein-protein interaction (PPI). Our lead compound, CAM2602, inhibits Aurora A:TPX2 interaction, binding Aurora A with 19 nM affinity. CAM2602 exhibits oral bioavailability, causes pharmacodynamic biomarker modulation, and arrests the growth of tumor xenografts. CAM2602 acts by a novel mechanism compared to ATP-competitive inhibitors and is highly specific to Aurora A over Aurora B. Consistent with our finding that Aurora A overexpression drives taxane resistance, these inhibitors synergize with paclitaxel to suppress the outgrowth of pancreatic Cancer cells. Our results provide a blueprint for targeting the Aurora A-TPX2 PPI for Cancer therapy and suggest a promising clinical utility for this mode of action.

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Products
  • Cat. No.
    Product Name
    Description
    Target
    Research Area
  • HY-168022
    Aurora A-TPX2相互作用抑制剂