Discovery of the Selective and Orally Available Galectin-1 Inhibitor GB1908 as a Potential Treatment for Lung Cancer.
Zetterberg, F.R., Peterson, K., Nilsson, U.J., Andreasson Dahlgren, K., Diehl, C., Holyer, I., Hakansson, M., Khabut, A., Kahl-Knutson, B., Leffler, H., MacKinnon, A.C., Roper, J.A., Slack, R.J., Zarrizi, R., Pedersen, A.(2024) J Med Chem 67: 9374-9388
- PubMed: 38804039 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00485
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
8R74 - PubMed Abstract: 
We have previously described a new series of selective and orally available galectin-1 inhibitors resulting in the thiazole-containing glycomimetic GB1490. Here, we show that the introduction of polar substituents to the thiazole ring results in galectin-1-specific compounds with low nM affinities. X-ray structural analysis of a new ligand-galectin-1 complex shows changes in the binding mode and ligand-protein hydrogen bond interactions compared to the GB1490-galectin-1 complex. These new high affinity ligands were further optimized with respect to affinity and ADME properties resulting in the galectin-1-selective GB1908 ( K d galectin-1/3 0.057/6.0 μM). In vitro GB1908 inhibited galectin-1-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells (IC 50 = 850 nM). Pharmacokinetic experiments in mice revealed that a dose of 30 mg/kg b.i.d. results in free levels of GB1908 in plasma over galectin-1 K d for 24 h. GB1908 dosed with this regimen reduced the growth of primary lung tumor LL/2 in a syngeneic mouse model.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Galecto Biotech AB, Sahlgrenska Science Park, Medicinaregatan 8 A, SE-413 46 Gothenburg,Sweden.