The synthesis of new antitumor 6-substituted imidazothiazole guanylhydrazones is described. Moreover, a series of compounds with a different basic chain at the 5 position were prepared. Finally, the replacement of the thiazole ring in the imidazothiazole system was also considered. All the new compounds prepared were submitted to the NCI cell line screen for evaluation of their antitumor activity. A few selected compounds were submitted to additional biological studies concerning effects on the cell cycle, apoptosis, and mitochondria.

This paper reports synthesis and antitumor activity of new guanylhydrazones from imidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles and from the new heterocyclic system thiazolo[2',3':2,3]imidazo[4,5-c]quinoline. The compounds were tested as potential antitumor agents at the National Cancer Institute. The effect of the guanylhydrazone of 2-chloro-6-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-nitrophenyl)imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole-5-carbaldehyde (41) was investigated, and it was found to be an inhibitor of Complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and is able to induce apoptosis in the cell lines HT29 and HL60.

Synthesis and antitumor activity of new E-3-(2-chloro-3-indolylmethylene)-1,3-dihydroindol-2-ones are described. All compounds prepared were active in the primary test (three human cell lines) and entered the second level (60 human cell lines). The most active antitumor derivatives bear the same substituents in the chloroindole ring and are not CDK1 inhibitors. A COMPARE analysis showed that they could act as tubulin binders. In most cell lines, E-3-(2-chloro-5-methoxy-6-methyl-3-indolylmethylene)-1,3-dihydroindol-2-one was a growth inhibitor more potent than vincristine.