Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common aggressive adult primary tumour of the central nervous system. Treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy. TMZ is an alkylating agent prodrug, delivering a methyl group to purine bases of DNA (O6-guanine; N7-guanine and N3-adenine). The primary cytotoxic lesion, O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) can be removed by methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT; direct repair) in tumours expressing this protein, or tolerated in mismatch repair-deficient (MMR-) tumours. Thus MGMT or MMR deficiency confers resistance to TMZ. Inherent- and acquired resistance to TMZ present major obstacles to successful treatment. Strategies devised to thwart resistance and enhance response to TMZ, including inhibition of DNA repair mechanisms which contribute to TMZ resistance, are under clinical evaluation. Depletion of MGMT prior to alkylating agent chemotherapy prevents O6-MeG repair; thus, MGMT pseudosubstrates O6-benzylguanine and lomeguatrib are able to sensitise tumours to TMZ. Disruption of base excision repair (BER) results in persistence of potentially lethal N7- and N3- purine lesions contributing significantly to TMZ cytoxicity particularly when O6-MeG adducts are repaired or tolerated. Several small molecule inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1), a critical BER protein are yielding promising results clinically, both in combination with TMZ and as single agent chemotherapy in patients whose tumours possess homologous recombination DNA repair defects. Another validated, but as yet preclinical protein target, mandatory to BER is abasic (AP) endonuclease-1 (APE-1); in preclinical tests, APE-1 inhibition potentiates TMZ activity. An alternative strategy is synthesis of a molecule, evoking an irrepairable cytotoxic O6-G lesion. Preliminary efforts to achieve this goal are described.

In recent years low molecular mass organic gelators (LMOGs) have gained increasing interest as an alternative biomaterial to polymer derived gels, with potential applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering. LMOGs are small organic molecules which self-assemble in water or organic solvents forming a 3D network that entraps the liquid phase resulting in gel formation. In this review, we report the classification of LMOGs into hydrogelators and gelators of organic solvents and we discuss the techniques commonly used to characterise the gels of these gelators with particular reference to specific applications of LMOGs in drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Synthetic routes to a series of mono- and difluorinated 2-(4-amino-3-substituted-phenyl)benzothiazoles have been devised. Whereas mixtures of regioisomeric 5- and 7-fluoro-benzothiazoles were formed from the established Jacobsen cyclization of precursor 3-fluoro-thiobenzanilides, two modifications to this general process have allowed the synthesis of pure samples of these target compounds. Fluorinated 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles were potently cytotoxic (GI(50) < 1 nM) in vitro in sensitive human breast MCF-7 (ER+) and MDA 468 (ER-) cell lines but inactive (GI(50) > 10 microM) against PC 3 prostate, nonmalignant HBL 100 breast, and HCT 116 colon cells. The biphasic dose-response relationship characteristically shown by the benzothiazole series against sensitive cell lines was exhibited by the 4- and 6-fluoro-benzothiazoles (10b,d) but not by the 5- and 7-fluoro-benzothiazoles (10h,i). The most potent broad spectrum agent in the NCI cell panel was 2-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-5-fluorobenzothiazole (10h) which, unlike the 6-fluoro isomer (10d), produces no exportable metabolites in the presence of sensitive MCF-7 cells. Induction of cytochrome P450 CYP1A1, a crucial event in determining the antitumor specificity of this series of benzothiazoles, was not compromised. 10h is currently the focus of pharmaceutical and preclinical development.

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This review traces the development of a series of potent and selective antitumour benzothiazoles from the discovery of the initial lead compound, 2-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)benzothiazole (DF 203) in 1995 to the identification of a clinical candidate, Phortress, scheduled to enter Phase 1 trials in Q1 2004 under the auspices of Cancer Research U.K. Advances in our understanding of the mechanism of action of this unique series of agents are described and can be summarised as follows: selective uptake into sensitive cells followed by Arylhydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) binding and translocation into the nucleus, induction of the cytochrome P450 isoform (CYP) 1A1, conversion of the drug into an electrophilic reactive intermediate and formation of extensive DNA adducts resulting in cell death. Our understanding of this mechanistic scenario has played a crucial role in the drug development process, most notably in the synthesis of fluorinated DF 203 analogues to thwart deactivating oxidative metabolism (5F 203) and water-soluble prodrug design for parenteral administration. Aspects of mechanism of action studies, in vitro and in vivo screening, synthetic chemistry and pharmacokinetics are reviewed here.

2-(4-Aminophenyl)benzothiazoles 1 and their N-acetylated forms have been converted to C- and N-hydroxylated derivatives to investigate the role of metabolic oxidation in the mode of action of this series of compounds. 2-(4-Amino-3-methylphenyl)benzothiazole (1a, DF 203, NSC 674495) is a novel and potent antitumor agent with selective growth inhibitory properties against human cancer cell lines. Very low IC(50) values (<0.1 microM) were encountered in the most sensitive breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and T-47D, whereas renal cell line TK-10 was weakly inhibited by 1a. Cell lines from the same tissue origin, MDA-MB-435 (breast), CAKI-1 (renal), and A498 (renal), were insensitive to 1a. Accumulation and metabolism of 1a were observed in sensitive cell lines only, with the highest rate of metabolism occurring in the most sensitive MCF-7 and T-47D cells. Thus, differential uptake and metabolism of 1a by cancer cell lines may underlie its selective profile of anticancer activity. A major metabolite in these sensitive cell lines has been identified as 2-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole (6c). Hydroxylation of 1a was not detected in the homogenate of previously untreated MCF-7, T-47D, and TK-10 cells but was readily observed in homogenates of sensitive cells that were pretreated with 1a. Accumulation and covalent binding of [(14)C]1a derived radioactivity was observed in the sensitive MCF-7 cell line but not in the insensitive MDA-MB-435 cell line. The mechanism of growth inhibition by 1a, which is unknown, may be dependent on the differential metabolism of the drug to an activated form by sensitive cell lines only and its covalent binding to an intracellular protein. However, the 6-hydroxy derivative 6c is not the 'active' metabolite since, like all other C- and N-hydroxylated benzothiazoles examined in this study, it is devoid of antitumor properties in vitro.

A series of new 2-phenylbenzothiazoles has been synthesized on the basis of the discovery of the potent and selective in vitro antitumor properties of 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5-fluorobenzothiazole (8n; GW 610, NSC 721648). Synthesis of analogues substituted in the benzothiazole ring was achieved via the reaction of o-aminothiophenol disulfides with substituted benzaldehydes under reducing conditions. Compounds were evaluated in vitro in four human cancer cell lines, and compound 8n was found to possess exquisitely potent antiproliferative activity (GI(50) < 0.1 nM for MCF-7 and MDA 468). Potent and selective activity was also observed in the NCI 60 human cancer cell line panel. Structure-activity relationships established that the compound 8n stands on a pinnacle of potent activity, with most structural variations having a deactivating in vitro effect. Mechanistically, this new series of agents contrasts with the previously reported 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles; compound 8n is not reliant on induction of CYP1A1 expression for antitumor activity.

A new series of 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles substituted in the phenyl ring and benzothiazole moiety has been synthesized by simple, high-yielding routes. The parent molecule 5a shows potent inhibitory activity in vitro in the nanomolar range against a panel of human breast cancer cell lines, but is inactive (IC50 > 30 microM) against other cell types: activity against the sensitive breast lines MCF-7 and MDA 468 is characterized by a biphasic dose-response relationship. Structure-activity relationships derived using these cell types has revealed that activity follows the heterocyclic sequence benzothiazole > benzoxazole >> benzimidazole and that 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazoles bearing a 3'-methyl- 9a, 3'-bromo- 9c, 3'-iodo- 9f, and 3'-chloro-substituent 9i are especially potent and their activity extends to ovarian, lung, and renal cell lines. Four compounds have been evaluated in vivo against human mammary carcinoma models in nude mice. Compound 9a showed the most potent growth inhibition against the ER+ (MCF-7 and BO) and ER- (MT-1 and MT-3) tumors. Our efforts to identify a pharmacological mechanism of action for these intriguing compounds have not, as yet, been successful.