Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of efflux-resistant imatinib derivatives
Article
Chowdhury, M.M., Pretheshan, P., Chowdhury, N.S., Andriollo, P., Shah, A.J., Forbes, B., Pepper, C. and Rahman, K.M. 2025. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of efflux-resistant imatinib derivatives. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 68 (21), pp. 22619-22632. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01596
| Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Title | Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of efflux-resistant imatinib derivatives |
| Authors | Chowdhury, M.M., Pretheshan, P., Chowdhury, N.S., Andriollo, P., Shah, A.J., Forbes, B., Pepper, C. and Rahman, K.M. |
| Abstract | Resistance to imatinib, a first-line BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor for chronic myeloid leukemia, is frequently mediated by drug efflux through P-glycoprotein (P-gp) overexpression. We report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of eight novel imatinib derivatives modified at the piperazine terminus with efflux resistance breaker (ERB) fragments to reduce P-gp-mediated efflux. In silico docking against cryo-EM P-gp structures predicted increased hydrophobic interactions and enhanced occupancy at the access tunnel, indicative of efflux inhibition. Compound 8 showed potency comparable to imatinib in BCR-ABL1+ K562 cells and a lower LC50 fold change in resistant K562/DOX cells, suggesting reduced efflux susceptibility. Accumulation assays confirmed the improved intracellular retention of compound 8. Compound 9 displayed increased potency in resistant cells, correlating with higher intracellular levels despite modest kinase inhibition. Verapamil assays confirmed reduced efflux liability for compounds 8 and 13. Compound 8 also showed a positive therapeutic index. These findings support rational design to mitigate efflux-mediated resistance. |
| Keywords | BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor; myeloid leukaemia; imatinib derivatives |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 3 Good health and well-being |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society |
| Journal | Journal of Medicinal Chemistry |
| ISSN | 0022-2623 |
| Electronic | 1520-4804 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 25 Oct 2025 |
| 13 Nov 2025 | |
| Publication process dates | |
| Submitted | 10 Jun 2025 |
| Accepted | 15 Oct 2025 |
| Deposited | 28 Oct 2025 |
| Output status | Published |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| Copyright Statement | © 2025 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c01596 |
| PubMed ID | 41137772 |
| Web of Science identifier | WOS:001600342100001 |
| Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/2x2721
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| design-synthesis-and-biological-evaluation-of-efflux-resistant-imatinib-derivatives.pdf | ||
| License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
| File access level: Open | ||
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