Bruton’s tyrosine
kinase (BTK) is a member of the TEC-family
kinases and crucial for the proliferation and differentiation of B-cells.
We evaluated the therapeutic potential of a covalent inhibitor (JS25)
with nanomolar potency against BTK and with a more desirable selectivity
and inhibitory profile compared to the FDA-approved BTK inhibitors
ibrutinib and acalabrutinib. Structural prediction of the BTK/JS25
complex revealed sequestration of Tyr551 that leads to BTK’s
inactivation. JS25 also inhibited the proliferation of myeloid and
lymphoid B-cell cancer cell lines. Its therapeutic potential was further
tested against ibrutinib in preclinical models of B-cell cancers.
JS25 treatment induced a more pronounced cell death in a murine xenograft
model of Burkitt’s lymphoma, causing a 30–40% reduction
of the subcutaneous tumor and an overall reduction in the percentage
of metastasis and secondary tumor formation. In a patient model of
diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the drug response of JS25 was higher
than that of ibrutinib, leading to a 64% “on-target”
efficacy. Finally, in zebrafish patient-derived xenografts of chronic
lymphocytic leukemia, JS25 was faster and more effective in decreasing
tumor burden, producing superior therapeutic effects compared to ibrutinib.
We expect JS25 to become therapeutically relevant as a BTK inhibitor
and to find applications in the treatment of hematological cancers
and other pathologies with unmet clinical treatment.