Identification of chiral alkenyl- and alkynylcarbinols as pharmacophores for potent cytotoxicity.

Illumination by acetylene: Systematic structural variations in a series of archetypal acetylenic lipids derived from the naturally occurring (S,E)-icos-4-en-1-yn-3-ol allowed the discovery of a series of 3R-like 1,4-di-unsaturated carbinol units with a significant and systematic enantiomeric effect on cytotoxicity.