Inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is a promising therapeutic strategy for select cancers that are dependent on aerobic metabolism. Here, we report the discovery, optimization, and structure–activity relationship (SAR) study of a series of novel OXPHOS inhibitors. The hit compound, benzene-1,4-disulfonamide 1, was discovered in a phenotypic screen selective for cytotoxicity in a galactose-containing medium. Our multi-parameter optimization campaign led to the discovery of 65 (DX3-235), showing nanomolar inhibition of complex I function and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in a galactose-containing medium resulting in significant cytotoxicity. Importantly, 64 (DX3-234), a close analogue of 65, is well tolerated in mice and shows significant single agent efficacy in a Pan02 syngeneic pancreatic cancer model, suggesting that highly potent and selective OXPHOS inhibitors can be useful for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

中文翻译：

---

苯-1,4-二磺胺作为氧化磷酸化抑制剂的发现和先导优化

抑制氧化磷酸化（OXPHOS）对于依赖有氧代谢的特定癌症来说是一种很有前途的治疗策略。在这里，我们报告了一系列新型 OXPHOS 抑制剂的发现、优化和构效关系 (SAR) 研究。命中化合物苯-1,4-二磺酰胺1是在含半乳糖培养基中对细胞毒性有选择性的表型筛选中发现的。我们的多参数优化活动导致了65 ( DX3-235 ) 的发现，显示了在含半乳糖的培养基中对复合物 I 功能和三磷酸腺苷 (ATP) 产生的纳摩尔抑制，从而导致显着的细胞毒性。重要的是，64 ( DX3-234) 是65的紧密类似物，在小鼠中具有良好的耐受性，并且在 Pan02 同基因胰腺癌模型中显示出显着的单药疗效，这表明高效和选择性的 OXPHOS 抑制剂可用于治疗胰腺癌。