Fully orthogonally protected 2-deoxystreptamine from kanamycin.

A fully orthogonally protected and enantiopure 2-deoxystreptamine derivative is prepared in a few straightforward steps from commercially available kanamycin. Resolution of a sterically hindered diacetate was effected by a Verenium esterase and was followed by a chemoselective Staudinger reduction-acylation protocol.

Novel 20-carbonate linked prodrugs of camptothecin and 9-aminocamptothecin designed for activation by tumour-associated plasmin.

The first prodrugs of camptothecin and 9-aminocamptothecin that are activated by the tumour-associated protease plasmin are reported. The tripartate prodrugs consist of a tripeptide sequence recognised by plasmin, which is linked to the 20-hydroxyl group of the camptothecins via a 1,6-elimination spacer. After selective N-protection of 9-aminocamptothecin with an Aloc group, the promoiety (tripeptide-spacer conjugate) was linked to camptothecin or 9-Aloc-9-aminocamptothecin via a 20-carbonate linkage by reacting parent drugs with the p-nitrophenyl carbonate activated promoiety in the presence of DMAP. Both prodrugs showed to be stable in buffer solution and both parent drugs were released upon incubation in the presence of plasmin. Furthermore, the prodrugs showed an average 10-fold decreased cytotoxicity with respect to their parent drugs upon incubation in seven human tumour cell lines.

Efficient preparation of a 1,3-diazidocyclitol as a versatile 2-deoxystreptamine precursor.

A synthesis route toward 2-deoxystreptamine, a common structure in many of the clinically important aminoglycosides, is presented. Starting from p-benzoquinone and cyclopentadiene, 2-deoxystreptamine is synthesized with key steps involving Pd(0)-catalyzed rearrangement, a retro-Diels-Alder by flash vacuum thermolysis, and Yb(III)-directed regioselective epoxide opening. The obtained diazidocyclitol 17 is a suitable 2-deoxystreptamine precursor, conveniently protected for incorporation in new aminoglycoside entities.