Irreversible Nek2 kinase inhibitors with cellular activity

A structure-based approach was used to design irreversible, cysteine-targeted inhibitors of the human centrosomal kinase, Nek2. Potent inhibition of Nek2 kinase activity in biochemical and cell-based assays required a noncatalytic cysteine residue (Cys22), located near the glycine-rich loop in a subset of human kinases. Elaboration of an oxindole scaffold led to our most selective compound, oxindole propynamide 16 (JH295). Propynamide 16 irreversibly inhibited cellular Nek2 without affecting the mitotic kinases, CDK1, Aurora B, or PLK1. Moreover, 16 did not perturb bipolar spindle assembly or the spindle assembly checkpoint. To our knowledge, 16 is the first small molecule shown to inactivate Nek2 kinase activity in cells.