Synthetic lethality in pancreatic cancer: discovery of a new RAD51-BRCA2 small molecule disruptor that inhibits homologous recombination and synergizes with olaparib

Synthetic lethality is an innovative framework for discovering novel anticancer drug candidates. One example is the use of PARP inhibitors (PARPi) in oncology patients with BRCA mutations. Here, we exploit a new paradigm based on the possibility to triggers synthetic lethality using only small organic molecules (dubbed “fully small-molecule-induced synthetic lethality”). We exploited this paradigm to target pancreatic cancer, one of the major unmet needs in oncology. We discovered a dihydroquinolone pyrazoline-based molecule (35d), which disrupts the RAD51-BRCA2 protein-protein interaction, thus mimicking the effect of BRCA2 mutation. 35d inhibits the homologous recombination in a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line. In addition, it synergizes with olaparib (a PARPi) to trigger synthetic lethality. This strategy aims to widen the use of PARPi in BRCA-competent and olaparib-resistant cancers, making fully small-molecule-induced synthetic lethality an innovative approach towards unmet oncological needs.