Discovery of Reversible Inhibitors of KDM1A Efficacious in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Models

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1 or KDM1A) is a FAD-dependent enzyme that acts as a transcription corepressor or coactivator by regulating the methylation status of histone H3 lysines K4 and K9, respectively. KDM1A represents an attractive target for cancer therapy. While, in the past, the main medicinal chemistry strategy toward KDM1A inhibition was based on the optimization of ligands that irreversibly bind the FAD cofactor within the enzyme catalytic site, we and others have also identified reversible inhibitors. Herein we reported the discovery of 5-imidazolylthieno[3,2-b]pyrroles, a new series of KDM1A inhibitors endowed with picomolar inhibitory potency, active in cells and efficacious after oral administration in murine leukemia models.