Structure-Based Discovery of M-89 as a Highly Potent Inhibitor of the Menin-Mixed Lineage Leukemia (Menin-MLL) Protein-Protein Interaction.
Aguilar, A., Zheng, K., Xu, T., Xu, S., Huang, L., Fernandez-Salas, E., Liu, L., Bernard, D., Harvey, K.P., Foster, C., McEachern, D., Stuckey, J., Chinnaswamy, K., Delproposto, J., Kampf, J.W., Wang, S.(2019) J Med Chem 62: 6015-6034
- PubMed: 31244110 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00021
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6E1A - PubMed Abstract: 
Inhibition of the menin-mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) protein-protein interaction is a promising new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acute leukemia carrying MLL fusion (MLL leukemia). We describe herein our structure-based design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new class of small-molecule inhibitors of the menin-MLL interaction (hereafter called menin inhibitors). Our efforts have resulted in the discovery of highly potent menin inhibitors, as exemplified by compound 42 (M-89). M-89 binds to menin with a K d value of 1.4 nM and effectively engages cellular menin protein at low nanomolar concentrations. M-89 inhibits cell growth in the MV4;11 and MOLM-13 leukemia cell lines carrying MLL fusion with IC 50 values of 25 and 55 nM, respectively, and demonstrates >100-fold selectivity over the HL-60 leukemia cell line lacking MLL fusion. The determination of a co-crystal structure of M-89 in a complex with menin provides the structural basis for their high-affinity interaction. Further optimization of M-89 may lead to a new class of therapy for the treatment of MLL leukemia.