title: Dual inhibitors of thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase as antitumor agents: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of classical and nonclassical pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates(1).
abstract: We designed and synthesized a classical analogue N-[4-[(2-amino-6-ethyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)thio]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (4) and thirteen nonclassical analogues 5-17 as potential dual thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and as antitumor agents. The key intermediate in their synthesis was 2-amino-6-ethyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 22, to which various aryl thiols were conveniently attached at the 5-position via an oxidative addition reaction using iodine. For the classical analogue 4, the ester obtained from the reaction was deprotected and coupled with diethyl L-glutamate followed by saponification. Compound 4 was a potent dual inhibitor of human TS (IC(50) = 90 nM) and human DHFR (IC(50) = 420 nM). Compound 4 was not a substrate for human FPGS. Metabolite protection studies established TS as its principal target. Most of the nonclassical analogues were only inhibitors of human TS with IC(50) values of 0.23-26 microM.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA. gangjee@duq.edu
authors.forename: Aleem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gangjee
authors.forename: Hiteshkumar D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Roy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kisliuk
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001665:Binding Sites; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005971:Glutamates / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists; D005971:Glutamates; C508996:N-(4-((2-amino-6-ethyl-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidin-5-yl)thio)benzoyl)glutamic acid; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011744:Pyrimidinones; D011758:Pyrroles; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase