Towards more drug-like proteomimetics: two-faced, synthetic α-helix mimetics based on a purine scaffold

Mimicry of two faces of an α-helix might yield more potent and more selective inhibitors of dysregulated, helix-mediated protein–protein interactions (PPI). Herein, we demonstrate that a 2,6,9-tri-substituted purine is capable of disrupting the Mcl-1–Bak-BH3 PPI through effective mimicry of key residues on opposing faces of the Bak-BH3 α-helix.