Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of POLRMT Inhibitors for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract

The metabolic dependence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) has become a cutting-edge area in cancer energy metabolism research, playing a pivotal role in cell survival and drug resistance. Consequently, targeted inhibition of human mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT) to block mitochondrial gene expression emerges as a novel potential strategy for treating AML through OXPHOS modulation. In this study, based on the previously reported crystal structure of the POLRMT inhibitor IMT1B, we employed a scaffold hopping strategy to design and synthesize a series of derivatives featuring additional hydrophobic occupying groups. A new potent POLRMT inhibitor (10a) was discovered, which displayed potent antiproliferative activity and could disrupt mitochondrial function and induce apoptosis in MOLM-13 cells. Together, these results demonstrate that 10a is a new POLRMT inhibitor, which may provide a candidate lead for AML treatment.