JQ1 is a
thienotriazolodiazepine and a potent inhibitor of the BET family of
bromodomain proteins which include
BRD2,
BRD3,
BRD4, and the testis-specific protein
BRDT in mammals.
BET inhibitors structurally similar to JQ1 are being tested in clinical trials for a variety of cancers including
NUT midline carcinoma.[1] It was developed by the James Bradner laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital and named after chemist Jun Qi. The chemical structure was inspired by patent of similar BET inhibitors by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma [WO/2009/084693]. Structurally it is related to
benzodiazepines. While widely used in laboratory applications, JQ1 is not itself being used in human clinical trials because it has a short half life.
Efficacy in mouse models of cancer
Interest in JQ1 as a cancer therapeutic stemmed from its ability to inhibit BRD4 and BRD3, both of which form fusion oncogenes that drive
NUT midline carcinoma.[2][3] Subsequent work demonstrated that a number of cancers including some forms of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were also highly sensitive to
BET inhibitors.[4][5]
In other applications
JQ1 has also been investigated for other applications in the treatment of
HIV infection,[6] as a male contraceptive,[7] and in slowing the progression of heart disease.[8]
^"Studies found for: bet inhibitor". ClinicalTrials.Gov. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.