A novel potent nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase inhibitor synthesized via click chemistry

The inhibition of NAD synthesis or salvage pathways has been proposed as a novel target for antitumoral drugs. Two molecules with this mechanism of action are at present undergoing clinical trials. In searching for similar novel molecules, we exploited copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition between azides and alkynes (click chemistry) to synthesize 185 novel analogues. The most promising compound displays an IC₅₀ for cytotoxicity in vitro of 3.8 ± 0.3 nM and an IC50 for NAD depletion of 3.0 ± 0.4 nM. Herein, we strengthen previous data suggesting that this class of compounds induces autophagic cell death. In addition to characterizing this compound and providing a rationale via molecular docking, we reinforce the excellent potential of click chemistry for rapidly generating structure-activity relationships and for drug screening.