Discovery and biological evaluation of tanshinone derivatives as potent dual inhibitors of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 and tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase

Indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2, 3-dioxygenase (TDO), catalyzing the first and rate-limiting step of tryptophan-kynurenine (Trp-Kyn) metabolism pathway, are the appealing targets for cancer immunotherapy. A few dual IDO1/TDO inhibitors are reported in literature. However, small molecule IDO1 and TDO inhibitors are not yet available for clinical use. Here, we report synthetic analogues of the naturally occurring terpenoids tanshinone IIA and crytotanshinone, and their IDO1/TDO inhibitory activities using enzymatic and cellular assays. The most potent compound 30 was further characterized with respect to the direct interaction, inhibition kinetics, and different binding modes against IDO1 and TDO through surface plasmon resonance (SPR), enzyme kinetics, and spectroscopic analysis approaches, respectively. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that 30 significantly promoted cell apoptosis through the potential mitochondria-mediated Bcl-2/Bax pathway. IDO1overexpressing HeLa cells, mimicking cancer cells, were sensitive to 30 treatments. These results provide further insights for new clinical application of tanshinones, the main component of traditional herbal medicine. (c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study reports the potential of synthetic analogues from Danshen as IDO1 and TDO inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy. The most potent compound, 30, was found to inhibit cancer cell growth by promoting apoptosis. These results contribute to the clinical application of tanshinone analogues.