1995 Volume 43 Issue 2 Pages 256-261
Novel pyrrolo[2, 3-d]pyrimidine antifolates (1a, b and 2a, b) with a nitrogen atom in the bridge chain between the 2, 4-diaminopyrrolo[2, 3-d]pyrimidine and phenylene rings were designed and efficiently synthesized. These compounds exhibited more potent inhibitory activities than methotrexate (MTX) against the proliferation of human epidermoid carcinoma KB cells and human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cells despite their modest dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-inhibitory potency.