(en) Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) is a heme-containing enzyme constitutively expressed at high concentrations in the liver and responsible for l-tryptophan (l-Trp) homeostasis. Expression of TDO2 in cancer cells results in the inhibition of immune-mediated tumor rejection due to an enhancement of l-Trp catabolism via the kynurenine pathway. In the study herein, we disclose a new 6-(1H-indol-3-yl)-benzotriazole scaffold of TDO2 inhibitors developed through rational design, starting from existing inhibitors. Rigidification of the initial scaffold led to the synthesis of stable compounds displaying a nanomolar cellular potency and a better understanding of the structural modulations that can be accommodated inside the active site of hTDO2.
Kozlova, A., Thabault, L., Liberelle, M., Klaessens, S., Prévost, J. R. C., Mathieu, C., Pilotte, L., Stroobant, V., Van den Eynde, B., & Frédérick, R. (2021). Rational Design of Original Fused-Cycle Selective Inhibitors of Tryptophan 2,3-Dioxygenase. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. Accepted/in-press. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00323 (Original work published 2021)