3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bcr-Abl inhibitors such as imatinib have been used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the efficacy of these drugs has diminished due to mutations in the kinase domain, notably the T315I mutation. Therefore, in this study, new purine derivative...

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Main Authors: David Cabezas, Thalía Delgado, Guisselle Sepúlveda, Petra Krňávková, Veronika Vojáčková, Vladimír Kryštof, Miroslav Strnad, Nicolás Ignacio Silva, Javier Echeverría, Christian Espinosa-Bustos, Guido Mellado, Jiao Luo, Jaime Mella, Cristian O. Salas
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Pharmaceuticals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/6/925
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author David Cabezas
Thalía Delgado
Guisselle Sepúlveda
Petra Krňávková
Veronika Vojáčková
Vladimír Kryštof
Miroslav Strnad
Nicolás Ignacio Silva
Javier Echeverría
Christian Espinosa-Bustos
Guido Mellado
Jiao Luo
Jaime Mella
Cristian O. Salas
author_facet David Cabezas
Thalía Delgado
Guisselle Sepúlveda
Petra Krňávková
Veronika Vojáčková
Vladimír Kryštof
Miroslav Strnad
Nicolás Ignacio Silva
Javier Echeverría
Christian Espinosa-Bustos
Guido Mellado
Jiao Luo
Jaime Mella
Cristian O. Salas
author_sort David Cabezas
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bcr-Abl inhibitors such as imatinib have been used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the efficacy of these drugs has diminished due to mutations in the kinase domain, notably the T315I mutation. Therefore, in this study, new purine derivatives were designed as Bcr-Abl inhibitors based on 3D-QSAR studies. <b>Methods:</b> A database of 58 purines that inhibit Bcr-Abl was used to construct 3D-QSAR models. Using chemical information from these models, a small group of new purines was designed, synthesized, and evaluated in Bcr-Abl. Viability assays were conducted on imatinib-sensitive CML cells (K562 and KCL22) and imatinib-resistant cells (KCL22-B8). In silico analyses were performed to confirm the results. <b>Results:</b> Seven purines were easily synthesized (<b>7a</b>–<b>g</b>). Compounds <b>7a</b> and <b>7c</b> demonstrated the highest inhibition activity on Bcr-Abl (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.13 and 0.19 μM), surpassing the potency of imatinib (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.33 μM). <b>7c</b> exhibited the highest potency, with GI<sub>50</sub> = 0.30 μM on K562 cells and 1.54 μM on KCL22 cells. The GI<sub>50</sub> values obtained for non-neoplastic HEK293T cells indicated that <b>7c</b> was less toxic than imatinib. Interestingly, KCL22-B8 cells (expressing Bcr-Abl<sup>T315I</sup>) showed greater sensitivity to <b>7e</b> and <b>7f</b> than to imatinib (GI<sub>50</sub> = 13.80 and 15.43 vs. >20 μM, respectively). In silico analyses, including docking and molecular dynamics studies of Bcr-Abl<sup>T315I</sup>, were conducted to elucidate the enhanced potency of <b>7e</b> and <b>7f</b>. Thus, this study provides in silico models to identify novel inhibitors that target a kinase of significance in CML.
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spelling doaj-art-de18d5fb055d475fa4a78fb2f66fb54a2025-08-20T03:16:35ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472025-06-0118692510.3390/ph180609253D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to ImatinibDavid Cabezas0Thalía Delgado1Guisselle Sepúlveda2Petra Krňávková3Veronika Vojáčková4Vladimír Kryštof5Miroslav Strnad6Nicolás Ignacio Silva7Javier Echeverría8Christian Espinosa-Bustos9Guido Mellado10Jiao Luo11Jaime Mella12Cristian O. Salas13Instituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360102, ChileDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, ChileDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, ChileDepartment of Experimental Biology, Palacký University, Slechtitelu 27, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Experimental Biology, Palacký University, Slechtitelu 27, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartment of Experimental Biology, Palacký University, Slechtitelu 27, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicLaboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Slechtitelu 27, 77900 Olomouc, Czech RepublicDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, ChileDepartamento de Ciencias del Ambiente, Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago de Chile 9170022, ChileDepartamento de Farmacia, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, ChileDepartamento de Ingeniería Informática, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco 4780000, ChileInstituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360102, ChileInstituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360102, ChileDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile 7820436, Chile<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Bcr-Abl inhibitors such as imatinib have been used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the efficacy of these drugs has diminished due to mutations in the kinase domain, notably the T315I mutation. Therefore, in this study, new purine derivatives were designed as Bcr-Abl inhibitors based on 3D-QSAR studies. <b>Methods:</b> A database of 58 purines that inhibit Bcr-Abl was used to construct 3D-QSAR models. Using chemical information from these models, a small group of new purines was designed, synthesized, and evaluated in Bcr-Abl. Viability assays were conducted on imatinib-sensitive CML cells (K562 and KCL22) and imatinib-resistant cells (KCL22-B8). In silico analyses were performed to confirm the results. <b>Results:</b> Seven purines were easily synthesized (<b>7a</b>–<b>g</b>). Compounds <b>7a</b> and <b>7c</b> demonstrated the highest inhibition activity on Bcr-Abl (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.13 and 0.19 μM), surpassing the potency of imatinib (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.33 μM). <b>7c</b> exhibited the highest potency, with GI<sub>50</sub> = 0.30 μM on K562 cells and 1.54 μM on KCL22 cells. The GI<sub>50</sub> values obtained for non-neoplastic HEK293T cells indicated that <b>7c</b> was less toxic than imatinib. Interestingly, KCL22-B8 cells (expressing Bcr-Abl<sup>T315I</sup>) showed greater sensitivity to <b>7e</b> and <b>7f</b> than to imatinib (GI<sub>50</sub> = 13.80 and 15.43 vs. >20 μM, respectively). In silico analyses, including docking and molecular dynamics studies of Bcr-Abl<sup>T315I</sup>, were conducted to elucidate the enhanced potency of <b>7e</b> and <b>7f</b>. Thus, this study provides in silico models to identify novel inhibitors that target a kinase of significance in CML.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/6/9253D-QSARchronic myeloid leukaemiaBcr-Abl inhibitorspurine derivativesdocking studiesmolecular dynamics
spellingShingle David Cabezas
Thalía Delgado
Guisselle Sepúlveda
Petra Krňávková
Veronika Vojáčková
Vladimír Kryštof
Miroslav Strnad
Nicolás Ignacio Silva
Javier Echeverría
Christian Espinosa-Bustos
Guido Mellado
Jiao Luo
Jaime Mella
Cristian O. Salas
3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
Pharmaceuticals
3D-QSAR
chronic myeloid leukaemia
Bcr-Abl inhibitors
purine derivatives
docking studies
molecular dynamics
title 3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
title_full 3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
title_fullStr 3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
title_full_unstemmed 3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
title_short 3D-QSAR Design of New Bcr-Abl Inhibitors Based on Purine Scaffold and Cytotoxicity Studies on CML Cell Lines Sensitive and Resistant to Imatinib
title_sort 3d qsar design of new bcr abl inhibitors based on purine scaffold and cytotoxicity studies on cml cell lines sensitive and resistant to imatinib
topic 3D-QSAR
chronic myeloid leukaemia
Bcr-Abl inhibitors
purine derivatives
docking studies
molecular dynamics
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/6/925
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