Anhydride modified cantharidin analogues useful in the treatment of certain forms of cancer also methods for the screening for anti-cancer activity of these analogues and/or their ability to sensitise cancer cells to cancer treatment. The modified cantharidin analogues have structure (I) or (II), wherein R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
are H, aryl or alkyl; X is O, N or S; Y is O, S, NH, NR; R is alkyl or aryl; A and B are H or CH
3
; W and Z are CHOH or C═O. These compounds inhibit protein phosphatase.
1
改性的
酞菜酸酐类似物在治疗某些癌症形式方面有用,还有筛选这些类似物的抗癌活性和/或它们增敏癌细胞对癌症治疗的能力的方法。改性的
酞菜酸酐类似物具有结构(I)或(II),其中R1、R2、R3和R4是H、芳基或烷基;X是O、N或S;Y是O、S、NH、NR;R是烷基或芳基;A和B是H或
CH3;W和Z是CHOH或C═O。这些化合物抑制蛋白
磷酸酶。