Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Benzothiazole Derivatives as Selective PI3Kβ Inhibitors

A novel series of PI3Kβ (Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases beta subunit) inhibitors with the structure of benzothiazole scaffold have been designed and synthesized. All the compounds have been evaluated for inhibitory activities against PI3Kα, β, γ, δ and mTOR (Mammalian target of rapamycin). Two superior compounds have been further evaluated for the IC(50) values against PI3Ks/mTOR. The most promising compound 11 displays excellent anti-proliferative activity and selectivity in multiple cancer cell lines, especially in the prostate cancer cell line. Docking studies indicate the morpholine group in 2-position of benzothiazole is necessary for the potent antitumor activity, which confirms our design is reasonable.