Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 4′-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives as novel tubulin and histone deacetylase dual inhibitors

A new class of 4′-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives has been designed and synthesized as tubulin-HDAC dual inhibitors. Biological evaluation of these hybrids included the inhibitory activity of HDAC, in vitro cell cycle analysis in HCT-116 cells as well as cytotoxicity against two cancer cell lines (A549 and HCT116). The distance and angle between the HDAC capping group and the zinc binding group were systematically varied. Compounds 14a and 14c showed most potent dual inhibitory activity and powerful antiproliferative activity on HCT116 and A549 cell lines.