Substances with dual tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I - topoisomerase I inhibitory activity in one low molecular weight compound would constitute a unique class of anticancer agents that could potentially have significant advantages over drugs that work against the individual enzymes. The present study demonstrates the successful synthesis and evaluation of the first dual Top1-Tdp1 inhibitors, which are based on the indenoisoquinoline chemotype. One bis(indenoisoquinoline) had significant activity against human Tdp1 (IC50 = 1.52 ± 0.05 μM), and it was also equipotent to camptothecin as a Top1 inhibitor. Significant insights into enzyme-drug interactions were gained via structure-activity relationship studies of the series. The present results also document the failure of the previously reported sulfonyl ester pharmacophore to confer Tdp1 inhibition in this indenoisoquinoline class of inhibitors, even though it was demonstrated to work well for the steroid NSC 88915 (7). The current study will facilitate future efforts to optimize dual Top1-Tdp1 inhibitors.

Tyrosyl-DNA-phosphodiesterase I (Tdp1) plays a key role in the repair of damaged DNA resulting from the topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitor camptothecin and a variety of other DNA-damaging anticancer agents. This report documents the design, synthesis, and evaluation of new indenoisoquinolines that are dual inhibitors of both Tdp1 and Top1. Enzyme inhibitory data and cytotoxicity data from human cancer cell cultures were used to establish structure-activity relationship. The potencies of the indenoisoquinolines against Tdp1 ranged from 5 μM to 111 μM, which places the more active compounds among the most potent known inhibitors of this target. The cytotoxicity mean-graph midpoints ranged from 0.02 to 2.34 μM. Dual Tdp1-Top1 inhibitors are of interest because the Top1 and Tdp1 inhibitory activities could theoretically work synergistically to create more effective anticancer agents.

Carbohydrate moieties were strategically transported from the indolocarbazole topoisomerase I (Top1) inhibitor class to the indenoisoquinoline system in search of structurally novel and potent Top1 inhibitors. The syntheses and biological evaluation of 20 new indenoisoquinolines glycosylated with linear and cyclic sugar moieties are reported. Aromatic ring substitution with 2,3-dimethoxy-8,9-methylenedioxy or 3-nitro groups exerted strong effects on antiproliferative and Top1 inhibitory activities. While the length of the carbohydrate side chain clearly correlated with antiproliferative activity, the relationship between stereochemistry and biological activity was less clearly defined. Twelve of the new indenoisoquinolines exhibit Top1 inhibitory activity equal to or better than that of camptothecin. An advanced synthetic intermediate from this study was also used to efficiently prepare indotecan (LMP400) and indimitecan (LMP776), two anticancer agents currently under investigation in a Phase I clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health.