Generation and Assessment of Fusions Between HDACi and TKi

Chimeric compounds combine the structural features of inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACi) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKi), and therefore unite the effects of a dual-targeting strategy in one compound. Here, we describe the generation of such hybrid molecules. Small molecules, known as TKi, are combined with a Zn²⁺ chelating motive, preferentially a hydroxamic acid, in addition. The resulting small molecules also can inhibit histone deacetylases, which are dependent on the catalytically active Zn²⁺. Moreover, we summarize how the growth-inhibitory effects of these combined compounds can be determined with a simple proliferation assay with a leukemic cell line.