Exploring structural effects in a new class of NRF2 inhibitors

NRF2 is a transcription factor that controls the cellular response to various stressors, such as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. As such, it plays a key role in the suppression of carcinogenesis, but constitutive NRF2 expression in cancer cells leads to resistance to chemotherapeutics and promotes metastasis. As a result, inhibition of the NRF2 pathway is a target for new drugs, especially for use in conjunction with established chemotherapeutic agents like carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil. A new class of NRF2 inhibitors has been discovered with substituted nicotinonitriles, such as MSU38225. In this work, the effects on NRF2 inhibition with structural changes were explored. Through these studies, we identified a few compounds with as good or better activity than the initial hit but with greatly improved solubility. The syntheses involved a variety of metal-catalyzed reactions, including titanium multicomponent coupling reactions and various Pd and Cu coupling reactions. In addition to inhibiting NRF2 activity, these new compounds inhibited the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells in which the NRF2 pathway is constitutively activated.