Advances in Structural Types and Pharmacochemistry of CDK12 Inhibitors

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK) 12 is a member of the 20-membered CDK family (CDK1-20) and plays a vital role in regulating gene transcription, mRNA splicing, translation, cell cycle, and repair of DNA damage. CDK12 is an emerging therapeutic target due to its role in regulating the transcription of DNA Damage Response (DDR) genes in Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK). However, the development of selective small molecules targeting CDK12 has been challenging due to the high degree of homology between kinase domains of CDK12 and other transcriptional CDKs, most notably CDK13. So far, no CDK12 inhibitors approved by the US FDA have been found, and more novel CDK12 inhibitors have been reported for the treatment of prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, lung adenocarcinoma, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, etc. This review has attempted to summarize the structural characteristics and biological activities of various novel CDK12 inhibitors reported since 2020. Meanwhile, we collated and analyzed the reported CDK12 inhibitors from the perspective of structure, summarized the current clinical application potential of CDK12 inhibitors, and further analyzed their current challenges and future development trends.