Compounds of formula G
1
-L-G
2
, where G
1
, is a radical structurally close to cryptolepine, -L- is a single covalent bond or a covalent linking biradical selected from —(CH
2
)
r
NR′″(CH
2
)
s
— and —(CH
2
)
r
NR′″(CH
2
)
s
NR″″(CH
2
)
t
—, —R′″ and —R″″ are radicals, same or different, selected from the group consisting of H and (C
1
-C
3
)-alkyl; r, s and t are an integer from 1 to 3 and -G
2
is H or a radical structurally close to -G
1
, are intercalators. They are compounds which intercalate between DNA base pairs, and are useful as therapeutic agents against cancer, as assess by an in vitro test of citotoxicity with human leukemia cells Jurkat E6-1 and human carcinoma cells GLC-4. Preferred compounds are those where -G
1
is bonded to -L- through a carbonyl amino and -L- is —(CH
2
)
3
NCH
3
(CH
2
)
3
— or —(CH
2
)
2
NCH
3
(CH
2
)
s
NCH
3
(CH
2
)
2
— where s=2 or 3.
-G
1
is a radical selected from (IIa) and (IIb); -G
2
is a radical selected from H, a radical of formula (IIa), a radical of formula (IIb), the N-radical of 1,8-naphthalimide, the C4-radical of 2-phenylquinoline and the C9-radical of acridine.
式为G1-L-G2的化合物,其中G1是结构与cryptolepine相似的基团,-L-是单个共价键或从—(
CH2)rNR′″( )s—和—( )rNR′″( )sNR″″( )t—中选择的共价键连接双基团,其中—R′″和—R″″是从H和(C1-C3)-烷基中选择的相同或不同的基团;r、s和t是从1到3的整数,-G2是H或结构与-G1相似的基团,它们是插入剂化合物。它们是插入到DNA碱基对之间的化合物,并可用作治疗癌症的药物,如通过对人类白血病细胞Jurkat E6-1和人类癌细胞GLC-4进行细胞毒性的体外测试所确定的。首选化合物是-G1通过一个羰基
氨基与-L-连接,并且-L-是—( )3NCH3( )3—或—( )2NCH3( )sNCH3( )2—其中s=2或3。-G1是从(IIa)和(IIb)中选择的基团;-G2是从H、公式(IIa)的基团、公式(IIb)的基团、1,8-
萘酰亚胺的N基团、
2-苯基喹啉的C4基团和
吖啶的C9基团中选择的基团。