[EN] CINNAMIDO-PVRROLOR[2,1-C][1,4]BENZODIAZEPINES AS POTENTIAL ANTICANCER AGENTS AND PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION THEREOF [FR] CINNAMIDO-PVRROLOR[2,1-C][1,4]BENZODIAZÉPINES UTILIÉES COMME AGENTS ANTICANCÉREUX POTENTIELS ET PROCESSUS DE PRÉPARATION DE CES COMPOSÉS
A series of new cinnamido-pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4)benzodiazepine conjugates (4a-d and 5a-d) and their dimers (6a-d) have been designed, synthesized and evaluated for their biological activity. The anticancer screening of compound 4a by the NCI exhibited significant GI50 values ranging from 68 to 732 nM against 53 of 59 human cancer cell lines tested. Compounds 5a-d and 6a-d have also shown remarkable cytotoxic activity with GI50 values <0.1 mu M concentrations in a large number of cell lines. Interestingly, compounds 5b and 6b have been identified as a new class of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization and their action has been rationalized by the cell cycle arrest in GO and G2/M phase. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.