Discovery of 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine derivatives as selective allosteric inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 for the treatment of KRAS^G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

The high expression or mutation of SHP2 can induce cancer, so targeting SHP2 has become a new strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, we used the previously reported SHP2 allosteric inhibitor IACS-13909 as a lead drug for structural derivation and modification, and synthesized three SHP2 inhibitors. Among them, 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine derivative 4b was a highly selective SHP2 allosteric inhibitor, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.2 nM, and its inhibitory activity was 17.75 times than that of the positive control IACS-13909. The cell proliferation experiment detected that compound 4b would markedly inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cells. Interestingly, compound 4b was highly sensitive to KRAS^G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H358 cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 0.58 μM and its antiproliferative activity was 4.79 times than that of IACS-13909. Furthermore, the combination therapy of compound 4b and KRAS^G12C inhibitor sotorasib would play a strong synergistic effect against NCI-H358 cells. The western blot experiment detected that compound 4b markedly downregulated the phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT in NCI-H358 cells. Molecular docking study predicted that compound 4b bound to the allosteric site of SHP2 and formed H-bond interactions with key residues Thr108, Glu110, Arg111, and Phe113. In summary, this study aims to provide new ideas for the development of SHP2 allosteric inhibitors for the treatment of KRAS^G12C mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Keywords:

• Allosteric inhibitor
• activity
• molecular docking
• SHP2
• synthesis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Innovation and Development Joint Fund of Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province of China (ZR2022LSW016), Special scientific research and academic activity project of hospital pharmacy of Shandong Pharmaceutical Association (yyyx2021q-09).