Diversely functionalized, fused aryl-alkyl ring systems hold a prominent position as well-established molecular frameworks for a variety of anti-cancer agents. The benzosuberene (6,7 fused, also referred to as dihydro-5H-benzo[7]annulene and benzocycloheptene) ring system has emerged as a valuable molecular core component for the development of inhibitors of tubulin assembly, which function as antiproliferative anti-cancer agents and, in certain cases, as vascular disrupting agents (VDAs). Both a phenolic-based analogue (known as >KGP18, compound >39) and its corresponding amine-based congener (referred to as >KGP156, compound >45), which demonstrate strong inhibition of tubulin assembly (low micromolar range) and potent cytotoxicity (picomolar range for >KGP18 and nanomolar range for >KGP156) are noteworthy examples of such benzosuberene-based compounds. In order to extend the structure-activity relationship (SAR) knowledge base related to benzosuberene anti-cancer agents, a series of eleven analogues (including >KGP18) were prepared in which the methoxylation pattern on the pendant aryl ring as well as functional group incorporation on the fused aryl ring were varied. The synthetic approach to these compounds featured a sequential Wittig olefination, reduction, Eaton's reagent-mediated cyclization strategy to achieve the core benzosuberone intermediate, and represented a higher-yielding synthesis of >KGP18 (which we prepared previously through a ring-expansion strategy). Incorporation of a fluorine or chlorine atom at the 1-position of the fused aryl ring or replacement of one of the methoxy groups with hydrogen (on the pendant aryl ring of >KGP18) led to benzosuberene analogues that were both strongly inhibitory against tubulin assembly (IC50 approximately 1.0 M) and strongly cytotoxic against selected human cancer cell lines (for example, GI50 = 5.47 nM against NCI-H460 cells with fluorobenzosuberene analogue >37). A water-soluble phosphate prodrug salt of >KGP18 (referred to as >KGP265, compound >44) and a water-soluble serinamide salt (compound >48) of >KGP156 were also synthesized and evaluated in this study.
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