Synthesis and evaluation of novel phosphasugar anticancer agents

Starting materials of phosphasugars, 1-phenyl-2-phospholene 1-oxides, were prepared from dienes and phenylphosphonous dichloride (dichlorophenylphosphine). Several substituted novel phosphasugars (3- or 4-halo-substituted)-1-phenyl-2-phospholene 1-oxides as well as 1-phenyl-2-phospholane 1-oxides were prepared from 2-phospholenes. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antitumor activities against the leukemia cell lines (U937 and K562) by in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. 2,3,4-Tribromo-3-methyl-1-phenylphospholane 1-oxide showed superior antitumor activity against U937 and K562 cell lines in a comparative evaluation with Glivec. The analysis by flow cytometry implied that 2,3-dibromo-3-methyl-1-phenylphospholane 1-oxide induced apoptosis to leukemia cell lines.