Lysine-Targeting Covalent Inhibitors

Jonathan Pettinger, Keith Jones, Matthew David Cheeseman

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017

DOI: 10.1002/anie.201707630

Targeted covalent inhibitors have gained widespread attention in drug discovery as a validated method to circumvent acquired resistance in oncology. This strategy exploits small molecule/protein crystal structures to design tight-binding ligands with appropriately positioned electrophilic warheads. Whilst most focus has been on targeting binding site cysteine residues, targeting nucleophilic lysine residues can also represent a viable approach to irreversible inhibition. However, owing to the basicity of the ε-amino group in lysine, this strategy generates a number of specific challenges. Herein, we review the key principles for inhibitor design, give historical examples and present recent developments that demonstrate its potential for future drug discovery.