Selective Covalent Targeting of Pyruvate Kinase M2 Using Arsenous Warheads

There is growing interest in covalent targeted inhibitors in drug discovery against previously undruggable sites and targets. These molecules typically feature an electrophilic warhead that reacts with nucleophilic groups of protein residues, most notably the thiol group of cysteines. One main challenge in the field is to develop versatile utilizable warheads. Here, we characterize the unique features of novel arsenous warheads for reaction with thiol species in a reversible manner and further demonstrate that organoarsenic probes can be chemically tuned toward specific molecular targets by developing selective and potent inhibitors of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). We show that compound 24 is a covalent and allosteric inhibitor of PKM2 and its orally bioavailable prodrug 25 exerts efficacious inhibition of PKM2-dependent tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our results introduce 25 and its derivatives as useful pharmacological tools and provide a general road map for targeting the protein cysteinome using arsenous warheads.

Automated summary

There is increasing interest in covalent targeted inhibitors for drug discovery against previously undruggable sites and targets. Novel arsenous warheads are characterized for their unique features in reacting with thiol species in a reversible manner. The development of selective and potent inhibitors using organoarsenic probes proves effective in targeting pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and inhibiting tumor growth.