Abstract
<jats:p>Inhibitor of DNA binding (ID) proteins are key regulators of tumor cell stemness, therapy resistance and pathological angiogenesis in multiple cancer types and other diseases. Here, we characterize the coumarin-derived compound X6632 as a pan-ID inhibitor with dual activity against tumor cells and the tumor-associated microvasculature in a number of human and murine models. X6632 efficiently suppressed ID protein expression, inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion of melanoma cells, and impaired multiple endothelial cell functions, including proliferation, migration, invasion, tube formation and sprouting in vitro. In back-to-back comparisons, X6632 exhibited an approximately ten-fold higher efficacy compared to the first-generation ID antagonist AGX51. In vivo, X6632 potently reduced pathological (neo)vascularization in established angiogenesis models, including oxygen-induced retinopathy and in Matrigel plug assays. It also significantly decreased blood vessel density in syngeneic melanoma models, delayed tumor growth and, when combined with immune checkpoint blockade, achieved superior tumor control compared with either monotherapy. Moreover, X6632 inhibited clonogenic growth in several breast cancer models, and robustly suppressed the growth of triple negative breast cancer in vivo, both in the highly aggressive 4T1 syngeneic model and in patient-derived xenografts. Collectively, these data establish X6632 as a second-generation, pan-ID protein inhibitor that can simultaneously target malignant cells and the tumor-supporting vasculature, and support the further pre-clinical development of the compound for the treatment of melanoma, breast cancer and potentially additional ID-dependent malignancies, as well as diseases driven by pathological neoangiogenesis.</jats:p>