Discovery and Optimization of Ergosterol Peroxide Derivatives as Novel Glutaminase 1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

In this study, novel ergosterol peroxide (EP) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to assess their antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231). Compound <b>3g</b> exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity, with an...

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Main Authors: Ran Luo, Haoyi Zhao, Siqi Deng, Jiale Wu, Haijun Wang, Xiaoshan Guo, Cuicui Han, Wenkang Ren, Yinglong Han, Jianwen Zhou, Yu Lin, Ming Bu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/29/18/4375
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Summary:In this study, novel ergosterol peroxide (EP) derivatives were synthesized and evaluated to assess their antiproliferative activity against four human cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231). Compound <b>3g</b> exhibited the most potent antiproliferative activity, with an IC<sub>50</sub> value of 3.20 µM against MDA-MB-231. This value was 5.4-fold higher than that of the parental EP. Bioassay optimization further identified <b>3g</b> as a novel glutaminase 1 (GLS1) inhibitor (IC<sub>50</sub> = 3.77 µM). In MDA-MB-231 cells, <b>3g</b> reduced the cellular glutamate levels by blocking the glutamine hydrolysis pathway, which triggered reactive oxygen species production and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. Molecular docking indicated that <b>3g</b> interacts with the reaction site of the variable binding pocket by forming multiple interactions with GLS1. In a mouse model of breast cancer, <b>3g</b> showed remarkable therapeutic effects at a dose of 50 mg/kg, with no apparent toxicity. Based on these results, <b>3g</b> could be further evaluated as a novel GLS1 inhibitor for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) therapy.
ISSN:1420-3049