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Nonclassical aminobenz[cd]indole antifolates 4, 5 and 6, in which the glutamic acid moiety of the classical anti-folates is substituted by 2-phenylglycinamide or 3- aminobenzamide, were synthesized and their in vitro antitumor activity was evaluated. The purpose of this substitution is that the lipophilicity is enhanced due to the aromatic ring of the target compounds for the passive transport through lipid membrane of cells while the hydrogen bonding of the amide is retained in the active site of the enzyme, thymidylate synthase, where the glutamate is originally present. The target compounds were highly cytotoxic against tumor cell lines of murine and human origin with micromolar to nanomolar Icn values. Most effective was compound 4(N-methyl-N-[4-[(α(S)-aminocarbonylbenzyl) aminocarbonyl]benzyl]-2,6- aminobenz[cd]indole) with Ics of 2 Nm against SW480, human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, which is 650-fold more potent than the reference compound 3.
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