Development of selective small molecule MDM2 degraders based on nutlin

Tumor suppressor protein p53 is important to the regulation of many cellular processes and the prevention of cancer development. In some cancer cells, the function of p53 is inhibited by murine double minute 2 protein (MDM2). To restore the function of p53, the inhibition or depletion of MDM2 has become a potential therapeutic treatment. We have successfully developed a series of small molecule MDM2 degraders that can promote the proteolysis of MDM2 oncoprotein, thus reactivating tumor suppressor p53. The superior degrader features a nutlin-based MDM2 ligand and a lenalidomide-based cereblon E3 ubiquitin ligase ligand with a short linker between the two ligands. At low nanomolar concentrations in RS4; 11 leukemia cells, this degrader promotes efficient degradation of MDM2. It also inhibits the proliferation of leukemia cells with an IC50 value of 3.2 nM and induces apoptosis effectively. All of these data indicate that MDM2 degraders are promising therapeutics for the treatment of cancers, such as leukemia.