Design, synthesis and evaluation of targeted hypoxia-activated prodrugs applied to chondrosarcoma chemotherapy.

The tumor microenvironment in chondrosarcoma (CHS), a chemo- and radio-resistant cancer provides unique hallmarks for developing a chondrosarcoma targeted drug-delivery system. Tumor targeting could be achieved using a quaternary ammonium function (QA) as a ligand for aggrecan, the main high negative charged proteoglycan of the extracellular matrix of CHS, and a 2-nitroimidazole as trigger that enables hypoxia-responsive drug release. In a previous work, ICF05016 was identified as efficient proteoglycan-targeting hypoxia-activated prodrug in a human extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma model in mice and a first study of the structure-activity relationship of the QA function and the alkyl linker length was conducted. Here, we report the second part of the study, namely the modification of the nitro-aromatic trigger and the position of the proteoglycan-targeting ligand at the aromatic ring as well as the nature of the alkylating mustard. Synthetic approaches have been established to functionalize the 2-nitroimidazole ring at the N-1 and C-4 positions with a terminal tertiary alkyl amine, and to perform the phosphorylation step namely through the use of an amine borane complex, leading to phosphoramide and isophosphoramide mustards and also to a phosphoramide mustard bearing four 2-chloroethyl chains. In a preliminary study using a reductive chemical activation, QA-conjugates, except the 4-nitrobenzyl one, were showed to undergo efficient cleavage with release of the corresponding mustard. However N,N,N-trimethylpropylaminium tethered to the N-1 or C-4 positions of the imidazole seemed to hamper the enzymatic reduction of the prodrugs and all tested compounds featured moderate selectivity toward hypoxic cells, likely not sufficient for application as hypoxia-activated prodrugs.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of quinazoline-phosphoramidate mustard conjugates as anticancer drugs.

A series of novel compounds with phosphoramide mustard functionality incorporated into the quinazoline scaffold of EGFR/HER2 inhibitors were designed and synthesized as multi-target-directed ligands against tumor cells. In vitro assays showed that tumor cell lines with high HER2 level were more sensitive to the compounds than tumor cells with low HER2 level. Compound 10d (EMB-3) was one of the most potent inhibitors with IC50 of 7.4 nM and 82 nM against EGFR and HER2, respectively. The mechanism studies were also supported by the effect of 10d-induced DNA damage in MDA-MB-468 cells. In vivo efficacy study showed that 10d could significantly inhibit H522 tumor xenograft model with a TGI of 68% at dose of 100 mg/kg (QDx28, p.o.) and no significant body weight loss was observed. MTD study indicated that compound 10d had no acute toxicity to mice at doses up to 900 mg/kg (single dose).

Design and synthesis of peptide conjugates of phosphoramide mustard as prodrugs activated by prostate-specific antigen.

A series of Glutaryl-Hyp-Ala-Ser-Chg-Gln-4-aminobenzyl phosphoramide mustard conjugates (1a-e) was designed and synthesized as potential prodrugs for site-specific activation by PSA in prostate cancer cells. All conjugates were found to be substrates of PSA with cleavage occurring between Gln and the para-aminobenzyl (PAB) linker. Structure-activity relationship studies on these conjugates indicated that introduction of electron-withdrawing fluorine(s) on the phenyl ring in the PAB linker uniformly improved the chemical stability of the conjugates while the position of substitution affected differently the self-immolative process of conjugates upon proteolysis. Introduction of a fluorine at ortho position to benzylic phosphoramide as in 1b results in better stability of the conjugate prior to activation while maintaining its antiproliferative activity upon activation by PSA. The conjugate 1b with 2-fluoro substitution was identified as a promising lead for further evaluation and optimization in the development of prostate cancer-targeted prodrugs.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of naphthalimide derived N-mustards.

A series of N-mustards, which was conjugated to mono- or bis-naphthalimides with a flexible amine link, were synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity against five cancer cell lines (HCT-116, PC-3, U87 MG, Hep G2 and SK-OV-3). Several compounds displayed better activities than the control compound amonafide. Further evaluations by fluorescence spectroscopy studies and DNA-interstrand cross-linking assays revealed that the derivatives showed both alkylating and intercalating properties. Among the derivatives, the bis-naphthalimide N-mustard derivative 11b was found to exhibit the highest cytotoxic activity and DNA cross-linking ability. Both 11b and 7b induce HCT-116 cell apoptosis by S phase arrest.

Acyloxymethyl esters of isophosphoramide mustard as new anticancer prodrugs.

A series of new prodrugs: [bis(2-chloroethylamino)phosphoryloxy]methyl acetate, [bis(2-chloroethylamino)phosphoryloxy]methyl pivalate and [bis(2-chloroethylamino)phosphoryloxy]methyl benzoate, was obtained in the reaction of isophosphoramide mustard (iPAM) with the corresponding acyloxymethyl halides. The cytotoxic activity of these new compounds is also shown. All compounds were highly active in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation against the human lung (A594), prostate (PC-3) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines.

An improved synthesis of lysosomal activated mustard prodrug for tumor-specific activation and its cytotoxic evaluation.

Cyclophosphamide, an alkylating agent widely used as anticancer agent, biotransformed in vivo to unstable phosphoramidic mustard and acrolein, where the latter metabolite has been found responsible for hemorrhagic cystitis and renal toxicity. Being one of the most popular strategies to avoid these deleterious effects, prodrug design has been attempted, which can, in addition, enable selective drug targeting. Our efforts to design, synthesize and evaluate the enzymatically activated prodrug phosphorodiamidic mustard as potential candidate for selective chemotherapy in antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy or prodrug monotherapy strategies are described. We propose an improved synthesis of prodrug 14, consisting of a galactose moiety, a spacer and a cytotoxic drug and its cytotoxicity has been investigated. The prodrug 14 has been found to be nontoxic (in vitro) which could be a valuable candidate for further development.

Trypanocidal activity of nitroaromatic prodrugs: current treatments and future perspectives.

Chagas disease and African sleeping sickness are trypanosomal infections that represent important public health problems in Latin America and Africa, respectively. The restriction of these diseases to the poorer parts of the world has meant that they have been largely neglected and limited progress has been made in their treatment. The nitroheterocyclic prodrugs nifurtimox and benznidazole, in use against Chagas disease for >40 years, remain the only agents available for this infection. In the case of African sleeping sickness, nifurtimox has recently been added to the arsenal of medicines, with the nitroheterocycle fexinidazole currently under evaluation. For a long time, the cytotoxic mechanism of these drugs was poorly understood: nifurtimox was thought to act via production of superoxide anions and nitro radicals, while the mode of benznidazole action was more obscure. The trypanocidal activity of nitroheterocyclic drugs is now known to depend on a parasite type I nitroreductase (NTR). This enzyme is absent from mammalian cells, a difference that forms the basis for the drug selectivity. The role of this enzyme in drug activation has been genetically and biochemically validated. It catalyses the 2-electron reduction of nitroheterocyclic compounds within the parasite, producing toxic metabolites without significant generation of superoxide. Recognition that this enzyme is responsible for activation of nitroheterocyclic prodrugs has allowed screening for compounds that preferentially target the parasite. This approach has led to the identification of two new classes of anti-trypanosomal agents, nitrobenzylphosphoramide mustards and aziridinyl nitrobenzamides, and promises to yield new, safer, more effective drugs.

Phenylalanyl-aminocyclophosphamides as model prodrugs for proteolytic activation: synthesis, stability, and stereochemical requirements for enzymatic cleavage.

4-Aminocyclophosphamide (4-NH2-CPA, 7) was proposed as a prodrug moiety of phosphoramide mustard. Four diastereomers of phenylalanine-conjugates of 4-NH2-CPA were synthesized and their stereochemistry was assigned based on chromatographic and spectroscopic data. All diastereomers were stable in phosphate buffer but only the cis-(4R)-isomer of 15 was efficiently cleaved by alpha-chymotrypsin with a half-life of 20 min, which is much shorter than the 8.9h to >12h half-lives found for the other diastereomers. LC-MS analysis of the proteolytic products of cis-(4R)-15 indicated that 4-NH2-CPA was released upon proteolysis and further disintegrated to phosphoramide mustard. These results suggest the feasibility of using peptide-conjugated cis-(4R)-4-NH2-CPA as potential prodrugs for proteolytic activation in tumor tissues.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of cyclic and acyclic nitrobenzylphosphoramide mustards for E. coli nitroreductase activation.

In efforts to obtain anticancer prodrugs for antibody-directed or gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy using E. coli nitroreductase, a series of nitrobenzylphosphoramide mustards were designed and synthesized incorporating a strategically placed nitro group in a position para to the benzylic carbon for reductive activation. All analogues were good substrates of E. coli nitroreductase with half-lives between 2.9 and 11.9 min at pH 7.0 and 37 degrees C. Isomers of the 4-nitrophenylcyclophosphamide analogues 3 and 5 with a benzylic oxygen para to the nitro group showed potent selective cytotoxicity in nitroreductase (NTR) expressing cells, while analogues 4 and 6 with a benzylic nitrogen para to the nitro group showed little selective cytotoxicity despite their good substrate activity. These results suggest that good substrate activity and the benzylic oxygen are both required for reductive activation of 4-nitrophenylcyclophosphamide analogues by E. coli nitroreductase. Isomers of analogue 3 showed 23,000-29,000x selective cytotoxicity toward NTR-expressing V79 cells with an IC(50) as low as 27 nM. They are about as active as and 3-4x more selective than 5-aziridinyl-2,4-dinitrobenzamide (CB1954). The acyclic 4-nitrobenzylphosphoramide mustard ((+/-)-7) was found to be the most active and most selective compound for activation by NTR with 170,000x selective cytotoxicity toward NTR-expressing V79 cells and an IC(50) of 0.4 nM. Compound (+/-)-7also exhibited good bystander effect compared to 5-aziridinyl-2,4-dinitrobenzamide. The low IC(50), high selectivity, and good bystander effects of nitrobenzylphosphoramide mustards in NTR-expressing cells suggest that they could be used in combination with E. coli nitroreductase in enzyme prodrug therapy.

Sulfonyl-containing aldophosphamide analogues as novel anticancer prodrugs targeted against cyclophosphamide-resistant tumor cell lines.

A series of sulfonyl-group containing analogues of aldophosphamide (Aldo) were synthesized as potential anticancer prodrugs that liberate the cytotoxic phosphoramide mustards (PM, IPM, and tetrakis-PM) via beta-elimination, a nonenzymatic activation mechanism. Kinetic studies demonstrated that all these compounds spontaneously liberate phosphoramide mustards with half-lives in the range of 0.08-15.2 h under model physiological conditions in 0.08 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. Analogous to Aldo, the rates of beta-elimination in all compounds was enhanced in reconstituted human plasma under same conditions. The compounds were more potent than the corresponding phosphoramide mustards against V-79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts in vitro (IC(50) = 1.8-69.1 microM). Several compounds showed excellent in vivo antitumor activity in CD2F1 mice against both P388/0 (Wild) and P388/CPA (CP-resistant) tumor cell lines.

Nitroaryl phosphoramides as novel prodrugs for E. coli nitroreductase activation in enzyme prodrug therapy.

Cyclic and acyclic nitroaryl phosphoramide mustard analogues were activated by E. coli nitroreductase, an enzyme explored in GDEPT. The more active acyclic 4-nitrobenzyl phosphoramide mustard (7) showed 167 500x selective cytotoxicity toward nitroreductase-expressing V79 cells with an IC(50) as low as 0.4 nM. This is about 100x more active and 27x more selective than CB1954 (1). The superior activity was attributed to its better substrate activity (k(cat)/K(m) 19x better than 1) and/or excellent cytotoxicity of phosphoramide mustard released.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of indolequinone phosphoramidate prodrugs targeted to DT-diaphorase.

A series of 2- and 3-substituted indolequinone phosphoramidate prodrugs targeted to DT-diaphorase (DTD) have been synthesized and evaluated. These compounds are designed to undergo activation via quinone reduction by DTD followed by expulsion of the phosphoramide mustard substituent from the hydroquinone. Chemical reduction of the phosphoramidate prodrugs led to rapid expulsion of the corresponding phosphoramidate anions in both series of compounds. Compounds substituted at the 2-position are excellent substrates for human DTD (k(cat)/K(M) = (2-5) x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1)); however, compounds substituted at the 3-position are potent inhibitors of the target enzyme. Both series of compounds are toxic in HT-29 and BE human colon cancer cell lines in a clonogenic assay. There was a correlation found between cytotoxicity and DTD activity for the 2-series of phosphoramidates; however, there was no correlation between cytotoxicity and DTD activity in the 3-series of compounds. This finding suggests the presence of an alternative mechanism for the activation of these compounds.

Synthesis and evaluation of pteroic acid-conjugated nitroheterocyclic phosphoramidates as folate receptor-targeted alkylating agents.

A novel nitroheterocyclic bis(haloethyl)phosphoramidate prodrug linked through lysine to a pteroic acid has been prepared and evaluated as a potential alkylating agent to target tumor cells that overexpress the folate receptor. The prodrug exhibited IC(50) values in the micromolar range and was 10-400-fold less cytotoxic in vitro than the phosphoramidate that lacks the lysine-pteroyl moiety. The data does not support a contribution of the folate receptor to cytotoxicity. In an attempt to determine the basis for the decreased cytotoxicity in the pteroyl-lysyl analogue, compounds were prepared in which the lysine-pteroyl moiety was replaced with lysine alone or with an n-propyl group. The n-propyl and the lysyl analogues were on average 3.8- and 21-fold less potent than the unsubstituted bis(haloethyl)phosphoramidate, respectively. Chemical reduction of the prodrugs followed by (31)P NMR kinetics demonstrated that all of the phosphoramidate anions cyclized to the aziridinium ion at similar rates and gave comparable product distributions, suggesting that changes in chemical activation did not account for the differences in cytotoxicity. It is likely that folate receptor-mediated transport is not sufficient to deliver adequate intracellular concentrations of the cytotoxic phosphoramide mustard.

[Synthesis of phosphoramide mustard analogues belonging to the L-sugar series]. / Foszforamid-mustár származékok szintézise az L-cukor sorban.

During the past decades numerous cyclophoshamide (mustard) derivatives of nucleosides and aminodeoxy sugars have been prepared for investigating their antitumor activities. The cyclophosphamide analogues of aminotrideoxy hexoses belonging to the D-series of sugars have been prepared by Monneret et al. The present paper reports the synthesis of the new phosphoramide mustards 16-17 from 12 and 15 (belonging to the L-sugar series). First compound 10 was synthesized from the L-rhamnose (9). Methyl 3-azido-2,3,6,-trideoxy-alpha-L-ribo-hexopyranoside (11) was obtained by the replacement of the 3-O-p-toluene-sulfonyl group of 10 with sodium azide. Methyl 3-azido-2,3,6,-trideoxy-alpha-L-arabino-hexopyranoside (14) was synthesized by rign opening of 13 with sodium azide. The corresponding amino sugars (12, 15) were obtained by catalytic hydrogenation (over palladium on carbon) of 11 and 14. Our compounds 12 and 15 were transformed into the cyclophosphamide derivatives 16a,b-17a,b upon treatment with bis(2-chloroethyl)phoshoramidic dichloride in the presence of triethylamine (36 h, r.t.). The approximately 1:1 mixtures of isomers (due to the different steric position of the P=O group) could be readily separated by chromatography. The 1H NMR assignments of compounds 16a, 16b, 17a and 17b, were based on one-dimensional selective decoupling experiments or two-dimensional chemical shift-correlated spectroscopy (COSY-60). The assignment of configuration to the isomeric phosphoramidates was based on the magnetic anisotropy of the P=O bond. The distinctly different chemical shift patterns of sugar protons observed for the two isomers allowed the unambiguous assignment of the P=O stereochemistry. The compounds 16a,b-17a,b (mixture of isomers) were tested for inhibitory activity using L1210 and HT29 cell lines.

Synthesis of 1-aldofosfamide-perhydrothiazines.

Aldofosfamide-perhydrothiazine derivatives are a new class of prodrugs which spontaneously, with half-life times of 2 to > 12 h hydrolyse to the corresponding aldophosphamide in aquous solution. Synthesis of 1-aldofosfamide-perhydrothiazine (N,N'-(2-chloroethyl)-phosphorodiamide-2-(2'-[4'-carboxy-1',3'- perhydrothiazinyl])-ethylester) and a derivative, in which one 2-chlorethyl group of the alkylating function is substituted by a mesyl-ethyl-group (N-(2-Chloroethyl)-N'-(methanesulphonylethyl)- phosphorodiamide-2-(2'-[4'-carboxy-1',3'-perhydro-thiazinyl] )-ethylester), is described.

Development of novel quinone phosphorodiamidate prodrugs targeted to DT-diaphorase.

A series of naphthoquinone and benzimidazolequinone phosphorodiamidates has been synthesized and studied as potential cytotoxic prodrugs activated by DT-diaphorase. Reduction of the quinone moiety in the target compounds was expected to provide a pathway for expulsion of the phosphoramide mustard alkylating agent. All of the compounds synthesized were excellent substrates for purified human DT-diaphorase (k(cat)/K(m) = 3 x 10(7) - 3 x 10(8) M(-1) s(-1)). The naphthoquinones were toxic to both HT-29 and BE human colon cancer cell lines in a clonogenic assay; however, cytotoxicity did not correlate with DT-diaphorase activity in these cell lines. The benzimidazolequinone analogues were 1-2 orders of magnitude less cytotoxic than the naphthoquinone analogues. Chemical reduction of the naphthoquinone led to rapid expulsion of the phosphorodiamidate anion; in contrast, the benzimidazole reduction product was stable. Michael addition of glutathione and other sulfur nucleophiles provides an alternate mechanism for activation of the naphthoquinone phosphorodiamidates, and this mechanism may contribute to the cytotoxicity of these compounds.

Synthesis of phosphoramide mustard analogues of daunomycin and carminomycin.

New phosphoramide mustards (6-8) have been prepared from the antibiotics 2 and 3, and from 5. The mixture of cyclophosphamides could be separated by preparative layer and column chromatography. The assignments of configuration to the isomeric phosphoramidates was based on the magnetic anisotropy of the P = O bond. The synthesized compounds 6a,b-8a,b (mixture of isomers) were tested for inhibitory activity on the [3H]-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of tumor cells, using ovarian carcinoma cell line.

Synthesis of novel androgen-linked phosphoramide mustard prodrugs and growth-inhibitory activity in human breast cancer cells.

Two steroid-linked phosphoramide mustard prodrugs, 7a and 7b, synthesized. The androgens testosterone and 19-nortestosterone were linked through the 17beta-position via an acetal bond to aldophosphamide (3). Proton-catalyzed, as well as cytochrome P450-mediated cleavage of the acetal bond resulted in the release of 3 which decays into the ultimate cytotoxic species, phosphoramide mustard. In a competitive cellular binding assay, the new prodrugs displayed approximately 10-12% affinity to androgen binding proteins in breast cancer cells, relative to testosterone (100%). In the sex hormone receptor-negative cell line MDA-MB231, the testosterone conjugate 7a and the 19-nortestosterone conjugate 7b have been found to be as effective as 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (5). Both compounds were more active than 5 in receptor-positive cell lines. No significant differences in response were observed, however, between receptor-negative and receptor-positive cell lines.

Chemically stable, lipophilic prodrugs of phosphoramide mustard as potential anticancer agents.

Benzyl phosphoramide mustard (3), 2,4-difluorobenzyl phosphoramide mustard (4), and methyl phosphoramide mustard (5) were examined as lipophilic, chemically stable prodrugs of phosphoramide mustard (2). These phosphorodiamidic esters are designed to undergo biotransformation by hepatic microsomal enzymes to produce 2. The rate of formation of alkylating species, viz., 2, from these prodrugs and their in vitro cytotoxicity toward mouse embryo Balb/c 3T3 cells were comparable to or better than that of cyclophosphamide (1). Preliminary antitumor screening against L1210 leukemia in mice, however, suggests that these prodrugs are devoid of any significant antitumor activity in vivo.

Aldophosphamide acetal diacetate and structural analogues: synthesis and cytotoxicity studies.

The synthesis of aldophosphamide acetal diacetate and a number of structural analogues is described. These compounds are designed to undergo biotransformation to the corresponding aldehydes in the presence of carboxylate esterases, enzymes that are ubiquitous in mammalian tissue. Several of these aldehydes can theoretically exist in pseudoequilibrium with the 4-hydroxyoxazaphosphorine tautomers; others lack this capability. The half-lives of the acetals in 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, at 37 degrees C ranged from 1 to 2 days. In the presence of 2 unit equiv of porcine liver carboxylate esterase, all of the compounds were hydrolyzed with half-lives of less than 1 min. Although closely structurally related, the compounds exhibited a wide range of cytotoxicities to L1210 murine leukemia cells in vitro.