Amphipathic benzenes are designed inhibitors of the estrogen receptor alpha/steroid receptor coactivator interaction.

We report here on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of small molecule inhibitors of the interaction between a steroid receptor coactivator and estrogen receptor alpha. These inhibitors are based upon an amphipathic benzene scaffold whose hydrophobic face mimics the leucine-rich alpha-helical consensus sequence on the steroid receptor coactivators that interacts with a shallow groove on estrogen receptor alpha. Several of these molecules are among the most potent inhibitors of this interaction described to date and are active at low micromolar concentrations in both in vitro models of estrogen receptor action and in cell-based assays of estrogen receptor-mediated coactivator interaction and transcription.