Total synthesis of ningalin B utilizing a heterocyclic azadiene Diels-Alder reaction and discovery of a new class of potent multidrug resistant (MDR) reversal agents

Academic Article
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related to degree

  • Soenen, Danielle, Ph.D. in Chemistry, Scripps Research 1998 - 2003
  • Boyce, Christopher William, Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Scripps Research 1994 - 1999

publication date

  • April 2000

abstract

  • A concise, efficient approach to the total synthesis of ningalin B (1) based on a heterocyclic azadiene Diels-Alder strategy (1,2,4,5-tetrazine-->1,2,-diazine-->pyrrole) ideally suited for construction of the densely functionalized pyrrole core found in the natural product is detailed. Examination of the natural product and a number of synthetic intermediates revealed that while lacking inherent cytotoxic activity, many reverse the multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype, resensitizing a human colon cancer cell line (HCT116/VM46) to vinblastine and doxorubicin at lower doses than the prototypical agent verapamil.