Discovery of CRBN-Dependent WEE1 Molecular Glue Degraders from a Multicomponent Combinatorial Library

J Am Chem Soc. 2024 Nov 20;146(46):31433-31443. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c06127. Epub 2024 Nov 5.

Abstract

Small molecules promoting protein-protein interactions produce a range of therapeutic outcomes. Molecular glue degraders exemplify this concept due to their compact drug-like structures and ability to engage targets without reliance on existing cognate ligands. While cereblon molecular glue degraders containing glutarimide scaffolds have been approved for treatment of multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia, the design of new therapeutically relevant monovalent degraders remains challenging. We report here an approach to glutarimide-containing molecular glue synthesis using multicomponent reactions as a central modular core-forming step. Screening the resulting library identified HRZ-1 derivatives that target casein kinase 1 α (CK1α) and Wee-like protein kinase (WEE1). Further medicinal chemistry efforts led to identification of selective monovalent WEE1 degraders that provide a potential starting point for the eventual development of a selective chemical degrader probe. The structure of the hit WEE1 degrader complex with CRBN-DDB1 and WEE1 provides a model of the protein-protein interface and ideas to rationalize the observed kinase selectivity. Our findings suggest that modular synthetic routes combined with in-depth structural characterization give access to selective molecular glue degraders and expansion of the CRBN-degradable proteome.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing* / chemistry
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing* / metabolism
  • Cell Cycle Proteins* / chemistry
  • Cell Cycle Proteins* / metabolism
  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Structure
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* / chemistry
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* / metabolism
  • Small Molecule Libraries* / chemical synthesis
  • Small Molecule Libraries* / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries* / pharmacology
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases

Substances

  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • WEE1 protein, human
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing
  • CRBN protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases