Systematic response of staurosporine scaffold‐based inhibitors to drug‐resistant cancer kinase mutations

Human protein kinases have been established as promising druggable targets in cancer therapy. However, a large number of acquired drug‐resistant kinase mutations are observed after first‐ and second‐line kinase inhibitor treatments, largely limiting the application of small‐molecule inhibitors in the targeted cancer therapy. Previously, the pan‐kinase inhibitor staurosporine and its derivatives have been reported to selectively inhibit gatekeeper mutants over wild‐type kinases, suggesting that the staurosporine scaffold is potentially helpful in developing wild‐type‐sparing inhibitors of drug‐resistant kinase mutants. Here, a systematic response profile of 32 staurosporine scaffold‐based inhibitors (SSBIs) for 61 ontology‐enriched drug‐resistant cancer kinase mutations is created using a combination of in silico analysis and in vitro assay, from which it is possible to identify those mutations that have the potential to cause resistance or confer sensitivity to SSBIs. The profile reveals that SSBIs exhibit distinct responses to kinase gatekeeper and nongatekeeper mutations, and SSBIs bearing p7 substituents can considerably influence their response to kinase gatekeeper mutations, particularly for the mutations of the Ile residue, which possesses a Cβ methyl group that tends to cause steric clash with bound SSBIs. Nongatekeeper mutations generally have a moderate and unfavorable effect on SSBI activity, as most of them are outside the kinase active site and do not directly contact inhibitor ligands. In addition, it is found that resistance is commonly caused by mutation‐induced hindrance effects, whereas sensitivity is primarily conferred by mutation‐established additional interactions. A systematic response profile of staurosporine scaffold‐based inhibitors for ontology‐enriched drug‐resistant cancer kinase mutations is created, from which it is possible to identify those mutations that have the potential to cause resistance or confer sensitivity to inhibitors. Resistance is commonly caused by mutation‐induced hindrance effects, whereas sensitivity is primarily conferred by mutation‐established additional interactions.