Highly Potent And Selective Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase 4 Inhibitors For The Therapy Of Lymphoid Malignancies

Pathologic activation of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway underlies various human disorders such as autoimmune diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases and lymphoid malignancies. Current therapy of these diseases relies on immunosuppressive or chemotherapeutic agents, but more effective therapies tailored to disease-causing mechanisms are required. The IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4), is critical to TLR signaling and is recruited to TLRs by the adapter protein MyD88. Gain-of-function MYD88 mutations are activated by IRAK4 kinase in several mature B cell malignancies, including activated B-cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL). Development of selective IRAK4 kinase inhibitors has been confounded by the challenging structure of IRAK4 catalytic domain. Using structure-based drug design methodologies, we identified potent and selective IRAK4 kinase inhibitors. ABC DLBCL cell lines that specifically harbor activating MYD88 mutations are killed by these inhibitors, both in vitro and in mouse xenograft models. Gene expression profiling revealed that IRAK4 kinase inhibitors downregulated prosurvival NF-κB signatures, and cytokine analysis showed a decrease in the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-10. Our findings open new possibilities for the therapy of malignant diseases that rely upon IRAK4 kinase. Citation Format: Priscilla N. Kelly, Divya Chaudhary, Ryan M. Young, Art Shaffer, Shaughnessy Robinson, Donna L. Romero, Rosana Kapeller, Louis M. Staudt. Highly potent and selective interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 inhibitors for the therapy of lymphoid malignancies. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-112. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-LB-112