The present invention relates to a new class of steroid saponins that have interesting biological activity. In particular the present invention relates to a class of steroid saponins in which the sugar moiety has been selectively functionalised to introduce a moiety that contains either, (i) a hydrogen ion donor, (ii) a hydrogen ion acceptor or (iii) a combination thereof. These new, water-soluble compounds are found to not only have potent anti-cancer properties per se but also have the ability to promote the immune response in a subject and can thus act as adjuvants for T-cell activation in cancer therapy.
本发明涉及一类具有有趣
生物活性的新型甾体
皂甙。特别是本发明涉及一类甾体
皂苷,其中的糖分子被选择性地官能化,以引入一个含有(i)氢离子供体、(ii)氢离子受体或(iii)其组合的分子。研究发现,这些新的
水溶性化合物不仅本身具有强大的抗癌特性,而且还能促进受试者的免疫反应,因此可以作为癌症治疗中激活 T 细胞的佐剂。