Discovery of Potent Small-Molecule SIRT6 Activators: Structure–Activity Relationship and Anti-Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Activity

SIRT6 activation is thought to be a promising target for the treatment of many diseases, particularly cancer. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of new small-molecule SIRT6 activators. Structure–activity relationship analyses led to the identification of the most potent compound, 2-(1-benzofuran-2-yl)-N-(diphenylmethyl) quinoline-4-carboxamide (12q), which showed an EC1.5 value of 0.58 ± 0.12 μM and an EC50 value of 5.35 ± 0.69 μM against SIRT6-dependent peptide deacetylation in FLUOR DE LYS assay. It exhibited weak or no activity against other HDAC family members as well as 415 kinases, indicating good selectivity for SIRT6. 12q significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells in vitro. It also markedly suppressed the tumor growth in a PDAC tumor xenograft model. This compound showed attractive pharmacokinetic properties. Overall, 12q could be a good lead compound for the treatment of PDAC, and it is worthy of further study.