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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Structure-Guided Design and Development of Novel Cyclophilin A Inhibitors and Ganoderiol-F Derivatives: An In-Silico Approach
Published on: June 23, 2026
A bifunctional colchicinoid that binds to the androgen receptor
Nima Sharifi1, Ernest Hamel, Markus A Lill
1Room 21-81, Cancer Stem Cell Section, Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Building 560, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. nima.sharifi@nih.gov
Abstract:
Castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) continues to be dependent on the androgen receptor (AR) for disease progression. We have synthesized and evaluated a novel compound that is a conjugate of colchicine and an AR antagonist (cyanonilutamide) designed to inhibit AR function in CRPC. A problem in multifunctional AR-binding compounds is steric hindrance of binding to the embedded hydrophobic AR ligand-binding pocket. Despite the bulky side chain projecting off of the AR-binding moiety, this novel conjugate of colchicine and cyanonilutamide binds to AR with a K(i) of 449 nmol/L. Structural modeling of this compound in the AR ligand-binding domain using a combination of rational docking, molecular dynamics, and steered molecular dynamics simulations reveals a basis for how this compound, which has a rigid alkyne linker, is able to bind to AR. Surprisingly, we found that this compound also binds to tubulin and inhibits tubulin function to a greater degree than colchicine itself. The tubulin-inhibiting activity of this compound increases cytoplasmic AR levels in prostate cancer cells. Finally, we found that this compound has greater toxicity against androgen-independent prostate cancer cells than the combination of colchicine and nilutamide. Together, these data point to several ways of inhibiting AR function in CRPC.
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