Anticancer compounds Subject

As mentioned in the introduction, metallocene-type complexes based on the early transition metals were evaluated as anticancer compounds shortly after the discovery of cisplatin. While the biological activity of each of the metallocene dihalides is unique, titanocene dichloride 7 has been the subject of a number of studies and even entered clinical evaluation, although evaluation was discontinued (not due to its anti-proliferative properties), principally due to formulation problems, despite showing superior activity to certain cancers than other established drugs. This class of compound continues to be modified and studied for anticancer activity, for example, the titanocene-type derivative of tamoxifen 1, described above, and other developments described below. 

The subject of the incorporation of anticancer agents into macromolecules [13] and other compounds [336] has been reviewed. A number of purine analogues are incorporated into nucleic acid, but the incorporation of these compounds requires that they be anabolized to nucleoside mono-, di-, and triphosphates, and it is difficult to separate the metabolic effects of the nucleoside phosphates from the metabolic effects of the fraudulent polynucleotides. 

The Aspidosperma family of indole alkaloids has inspired many synthetic strategies for the construction of their pentacyclic framework of the parent compound aspidospermidine (366), since the initial clinical success of two derivatives, vinblastine (10) and vincristine, as anticancer agents. The alkaloids such as (-)-rhazinal (369) and (-)-rhazinilam (6) have been identified as novel leads for the development of new generation anticancer agents [10,11]. Bis-lactams (-)-leucunolam (370) and (-t-)-epi-leucunolam (371) have bio-genetic and structural relationships with these compounds [236]. Recently, enantioselective or racemic total syntheses of some of the these natural product were achieved. One successful synthesis was the preparation of the tricyclic ketone 365, an advanced intermediate in the synthesis of aspidospermidine (366), from pyrrole (1) (Scheme 76) [14]. The key step is the construction of the indolizidine 360, which represents the first example of the equivalent intramolecular Michael addition process [14,237,238]. The DIBAL-H mediated reduction product was subject to mesylation under the Crossland-... 

Its unusual challenging structure and significant anticancer and antibiotic activity have attracted the attention of many research groups. More than 200 papers, including reviews (77-81), have appeared so far on its synthesis, cytotoxic mechanism of action, and biosynthesis. This highly active compound against experimental lymphomas was subjected to clinical trials, but its severe toxicity to the hematopoietic system prevented its acceptance into human medicine (82). 

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