Inhibition of the protein-protein interaction between B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) and corepressors has been implicated as a therapeutic target in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cancers and profiling of potent and selective BCL6 inhibitors are critical to test this hypothesis. We identified a pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine series of BCL6 binders from a fragment screen in parallel with a virtual screen. Using structure-based drug design, binding affinity was increased 100000-fold. This involved displacing crystallographic water, forming new ligand-protein interactions and a macrocyclization to favor the bioactive conformation of the ligands. Optimization for slow off-rate constant kinetics was conducted as well as improving selectivity against an off-target kinase, CK2. Potency in a cellular BCL6 assay was further optimized to afford highly selective probe molecules. Only weak antiproliferative effects were observed across a number of DLBCL lines and a multiple myeloma cell line without a clear relationship to BCL6 potency. As a result, we conclude that the BCL6 hypothesis in DLBCL cancer remains unproven.

Iron-catalysed substrate-directed Suzuki biaryl cross-coupling.

Herein, we describe the development of a copper-catalyzed C(sp 3 )-amination of proaromatic dihydroquinazolinones derived from ketones. The reaction is enabled by the intermediacy of open-shell species arising from homolytic CÀ C bond-cleavage driven by aromatization. The protocol is characterized by its operational simplicity and generality, including chemical diversification of advanced intermediates.

We report tandem alkyl‐arylations and phosphonyl‐arylations of vinyl ureas by way of a photocatalytic radical‐polar crossover mechanism. Addition of photoredox‐generated radicals to the alkene forms a new C−C or C−P bond and generates a product radical adjacent to the urea function. Reductive termination of the photocatalytic cycle generates an anion that undergoes a polar Truce–Smiles rearrangement, forming a C−C bond. The reaction is successful with a range of α‐fluorinated alkyl sodium sulfinate salts and diarylphosphine oxides as radical precursors, and the conformationally accelerated Truce–Smiles rearrangement is not restricted by the electronic nature of the migrating aromatic ring. Formally the reaction constitutes an α,β‐difuctionalisation of a carbon–carbon double bond, and proceeds under mild conditions with visible light and a readily available organic photocatalyst. The products are α,α‐diaryl alkylureas typically functionalized with F or P substituents that may be readily converted into α,α‐diaryl alkylamines.

Upon treatment with aryldiazonium salts, prenyl carbamates and ureas undergo redox-neutral azocycloamination. In general, N-aryl O-prenyl carbamates cyclize in a photocatalytic reaction with visible light and an organic dye. With electron-deficient diazonium salts, electronic matching with an electron-rich N-aryl substituent results in a reaction proceeding in the ground state, without either light or photocatalyst. Cyclic voltammetry suggests that this radical reaction is initiated by hydrogen-atom abstraction mediated by an aryl radical, followed by a radical addition cascade and proton-coupled hole propagation. The reaction proceeds at room temperature in short reaction times, and a range of functional groups is tolerated.