Design, Synthesis, and Docking Studies of Peptidomimetics Based on HER2-Herceptin Binding Site with Potential Antiproliferative Activity Against Breast Cancer Cell lines

Epidermal growth factor receptor kinase and the related human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2, ErbB2) are two growth factor receptors that have implications in cancer. The overexpression or activation of HER2 occurs frequently in breast, ovarian, and lung cancers, making it an important therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer. Blocking HER2-mediated signaling with antibodies or small molecules has been shown to be effective in inhibiting cell growth. After analyzing the crystal structure of the HER2-herceptin complex, several peptidomimetics (HERP5, 6, and 7) were designed to inhibit HER2-mediated signaling for cell growth. We have used an in silico screening method to investigate the chemical diversity of the designed compounds. autodock software was used to dock the different analogs of HERP5 and HERP7 with HER2 protein extracellular domain. A total of 53 compounds were docked to HER2 protein, and their binding modes were analyzed in terms of docking energy, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. Compounds that exhibited low-energy docked structures were chosen for chemical synthesis and biological activity. Two of the compounds (HERP5 and HERP7) exhibited antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values of 0.396 mu m and 0.143 mu m, respectively, against SKBR-3 cell lines (breast cancer cell lines) that overexpress HER2 protein.