Synthesis of peptoid-based class I selective histone deacetylase inhibitors with chemosensitizing properties

There is increasing evidence that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can (re)sensitize cancer cells for chemotherapeutics via 'epigenetic priming'. In this work, we describe the synthesis of a series of class I selective HDAC inhibitors with 2-aminoanilides as zinc-binding groups. Several of the synthesized compounds revealed potent inhibition of the class I HDAC isoforms HDAC1, 2 and/or 3 and promising antiproliferative effects in the human ovarian cancer cell line A2780 and the human squamous carcinoma cell line Cal27. Selected compounds were investigated in a cellular model of platinum resistance. In particular compound 2a revealed potent chemosensitizing properties and full reversal of cisplatin resistance in Cal27CisR cells. This effect is related to a synergistic increase in caspase 3/7 activation and induction of apoptosis. Thus, this work demonstrates that pan-HDAC inhibition or dual class I/class IIb inhibition is not required for full reversal of cisplatin resistance