Hybrids of Quinoline and Anilinopyrimidine: Novel EGFR^T790M Inhibitors with Antiproliferative Activity against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Background: The third-generation irreversible Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) inhibit the T790M mutation while sparing EGFRWT. However, the C797S point mutation confers resistance to existing irreversible EGFRT790M inhibitors. Objective: Novel EGFRT790M inhibitors were designed through hybridization of quinoline and anilinopyrimidine, and biologically evaluated their antiproliferative activity against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. Methods: The target compounds 11a-h were synthesized and structurally characterized with 1H, 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS). Their inhibitory effects on tumor cell proliferation and EGFR kinase were biologically evaluated. Additionally, molecular docking studies were also performed on the representative typical EGFRT790M inhibitor. Results: Most of the evaluated compounds displayed moderate antiproliferative activity on H1975 cells with EGFRL858R/T790M. However, compound 11a (IC50 = 2.235 ± 0.565μM) showed stronger inhibition than gefitinib (IC50 = 8.830 ± 0.495μM) in concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, compound 11a exhibited weaker inhibitory activities on cells with EGFRWT. Specifically, compound 11a strongly suppressed EGFRL858R/T790M (IC50 = 0.515 ± 0.011μM) relative to EGFRWT (IC50 = 0.913 ± 0.068μM). Furthermore, molecular docking studies demonstrated its strong binding contacts with the EGFRT790M enzyme through hydrogen bonds and other non-bonded interactions. Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate that the hybrid of quinoline and anilinopyrimidine 11a, could be a potential inhibitor of EGFRT790M in NSCLC, which warrants further in-depth studies.