Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of N‐(Arylsulfanyl)carbonyl Analogues of Paclitaxel (Taxol)

Abstract

AbstractFour new N‐(arylsufanyl)carbonyl paclitaxel analogues (2a–d) were prepared from 7‐(triethylsilyl)‐protected baccatin III (5). Their cytotoxicities against human ovarian (A2780) and prostate cancer (PC3) cell lines, as well as their tubulin‐assembly activities, were determined. In these assays, the new compounds showed rather weak activities, one two orders of magnitude below those of paclitaxel (taxol; 1). The known 3′‐N‐[(thiophen‐2‐yl)carbonyl] paclitaxel analogue 3 was also prepared. As previously reported, 3 exhibited strongly improved cytotoxicities and tubulin‐assembly activities as compared to paclitaxel (1).