Discovery of a Potent Fluorescence Polarization Probe for Identifying USP1 Allosteric Inhibitors

The deubiquitinating enzyme, ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1), is overexpressed in various tumor types, making it a promising target for cancer therapy. The development of USP1 allosteric inhibitors has progressed rapidly owing to their high selectivity and potency. However, the lack of appropriate chemical tools for developing a binding screen for this site has hampered the discovery of novel ligands. Herein, we developed the first allosteric fluoroprobe and fluorescence polarization (FP) assay for direct validation of USP1 allosteric inhibitors. The FP assay based on allosteric tracer 6-2 enabled the differentiation of known allosteric and catalytic site inhibitors, providing a robust and scalable tool for high-throughput screening. In addition, a novel class of potent tetrahydroisoquinoline USP1 inhibitors was identified, and the representative compound 14a possessed superior enzymatic and cellular activity compared with the clinical candidate KSQ-4279, with potent in vivo anti-DLBCL efficacy and good druggability. Collectively, this study provides a valuable fluoroprobe, FP assay platform, and lead compounds targeting USP1 for further structural optimization and antitumor mechanism studies.