A bioisosteric approach to the discovery of novel N-aryl-N′-[4-(aryloxy)cyclohexyl]squaramide-based activators of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) phosphorylation

Inhibition of translation initiation has emerging implications for the development of mechanism-based anticancer therapeutics. Phosphorylation of eIF2α is recognized as a key target that regulates the translation initiation cascade. Based on the bioisosteric replacement of urea-derived eIF2α phosphorylation activator 1, a novel series of N-aryl-N′-[4-(aryloxy)cyclohexyl]squaramide derivatives was designed and synthesized; their effects on the activation of eIF2α phosphorylation was assessed systematically. A brief structure–activity relationship analysis was established by stepwise structural optimization of the squaramide series. Subsequently, the antiproliferative activities of the selected analogues were determined in human leukemia K562 cells. We then identified 10 potent eIF2α phosphorylation activators with considerable anticancer activity. The most promising analogues 19 and 40 possessed higher cancer cell selectivity (SI = 6.16 and 4.83, respectively) than parent 1 (SI = 2.20). Finally, protein expression analysis revealed that compounds 19 and 40 induced eIF2α phosphorylation and its downstream effectors ATF4 and CHOP. [Display omitted] •A new series of squaramides was designed and synthesized by a bioisosteric approach.•Ten analogues induced p-eIF2α and antiproliferation in K562 cells with high IC50 value.•19 and 40 exhibited remarkably high selectivity index (6.16 and 4.83, respectively).•19 and 40 increased the expression level of eIF2α downstream proteins, ATF and CHOP.