Substituted oxindol-3-ylidenes as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitors

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a central metabolic regulator that promotes cancer growth and survival under hypoxia and plays a role in the maintenance of cancer stem cells. A major challenge to interrogating the potential of targeting AMPK in cancer is the lack of potent and selective small molecule inhibitors. Compound C has been widely used as an AMPK inhibitor, but it lacks potency and has a poor selectivity profile. The multi-kinase inhibitor, sunitinib, has demonstrated potent nanomolar inhibition of AMPK activity and has scope for modification. Here, we have designed and synthesized several series of oxindoles to determine the structural requirements for AMPK inhibition and to improve selectivity. We identified two potent, novel oxindole-based AMPK inhibitors that were designed to interact with the DFG motif in the ATP-binding site of AMPK, this key feature evades interaction with the common recptor tyrosine kinase targets of sunitinib. Cellular engagement of AMPK by these oxindoles was confirmed by the inhibition of phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), a known substrate of AMPK, in myeloid leukemia cells. Interestingly, although AMPK is highly expressed and activated in K562 cells these oxindole-based AMPK inhibitors did not impact cell viability or result in significant cytotoxicity. Our studies serve as a platform for the further development of oxindole-based AMPK inhibitors with therapeutic potential.