Discovery of a First-in-Class Degrader for the Lipid Kinase PIKfyve

J Med Chem. 2023 Sep 14;66(17):12432-12445. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00912. Epub 2023 Aug 21.

Abstract

The phosphoinositide kinase PIKfyve has emerged as a new potential therapeutic target in various cancers. However, limited clinical progress has been achieved with PIKfyve inhibitors. Here, we report the discovery of a first-in-class PIKfyve degrader 12d (PIK5-12d) by employing the proteolysis-targeting chimera approach. PIK5-12d potently degraded PIKfyve protein with a DC50 value of 1.48 nM and a Dmax value of 97.7% in prostate cancer VCaP cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that it selectively induced PIKfyve degradation in a VHL- and proteasome-dependent manner. PIKfyve degradation by PIK5-12d caused massive cytoplasmic vacuolization and blocked autophagic flux in multiple prostate cancer cell lines. Importantly, PIK5-12d was more effective in suppressing the growth of prostate cancer cells than the parent inhibitor and exerted prolonged inhibition of downstream signaling. Further, intraperitoneal administration of PIK5-12d exhibited potent PIKfyve degradation and suppressed tumor proliferation in vivo. Overall, PIK5-12d is a valuable chemical tool for exploring PIKfyve-based targeted therapy.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Autophagy
  • Cell Line
  • Cytoplasm
  • Humans
  • Lipids
  • Male
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Lipids
  • PIKFYVE protein, human