Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2-substituted-pyridin-4-yl macrocyclic derivatives as new selective...

Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling and a promising therapeutic target in immunotherapy. Herein, based on the reported HPK1 inhibitor Compound K, a series of 2-substituted-pyridin-4-yl macrocyclic HPK1 inhibitors was designed and synthesized through structure-based drug design and macrocyclization strategies. Detailed SAR studies led to the discovery of compound 2 t, which exhibits excellent HPK1 inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 1.22 nM). Compared with Compound K, its GLK selectivity (>665-fold) and LCK selectivity (>1095-fold) are significantly improved. The molecular docking results indicate that the macrocyclization strategy leads to moderate selectivity, while delicate regulation of the solvent front region is the main reason for the high selectivity of 2 t. Moreover, 2 t displayed favorable metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties (oral bioavailability, F = 31.8 % in mice). It also enhanced T-cell activation and demonstrated synergistic effects when combined with anti-mPD-1 therapy in the MC38 tumor model, achieving a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) rate of 76 %, compared to 70 % with anti-mPD-1 monotherapy, 2 t also exhibited moderate bioavailability (F = 31.8 %) in mice and showed synergistic effects with anti-mPD-1 antibodies in the MC38 mouse model, although no significant differences were observed. This work highlights 2 t as a potent and selective HPK1 inhibitor and a promising lead compound for cancer immunotherapy.