Sequence-defined phosphoestamers for selective inhibition of the KRASG12D/RAF1 interaction†

Abstract

RAS proteins are the most frequently mutated in cancer, yet they have proved extremely difficult to target in drug discovery, largely because interfering with the interaction of RAS with its downstream effectors comes up against the challenge of protein–protein interactions (PPIs). Sequence-defined synthetic oligomers could combine the precision and customisability of synthetic molecules with the size required to address entire PPI surfaces. We have adapted the phosphoramidite chemistry of oligonucleotide synthesis to produce a library of nearly one million non-nucleosidic oligophosphoester sequences (phosphoestamers) composed of units taken from synthetic supramolecular chemistry, and used a fluorescent-activated bead sorting (FABS) process to select those that inhibit the interaction between KRAS^G12D (the most prevalent, and undrugged, RAS mutant) and RAF, a downstream effector of RAS that drives cell proliferation. Hits were identified using tandem mass spectrometry, and orthogonal validation showed effective inhibition of KRAS^G12D with IC₅₀ values as low as 25 nM, and excellent selectivity over the wild type form. These findings have the potential to lead to new drugs that target mutant RAS-driven cancers, and provide proof-of-principle for the phosphoestamer chemical platform against PPIs in general – opening up new possibilities in neurodegenerative disease, viral infection, and many more conditions.