Journal of medicinal chemistry
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The synthesis of a series of cephalosporin doxorubicin derivatives that differ with respect to the substituent at position 7 of the cephem nucleus is described. These compounds are designed as prodrugs of doxorubicin for activation by monoclonal antibody-beta-lactamase conjugates. The key step in the synthesis of this series of compounds involves the use of the phenylacetamido group as an enzymatically removable protecting group for the 7-amino group on the cephem. ⋯ The efficiency of activation of all the prodrugs was evaluated in cytotoxicity assays on H2981 cells with the beta-lactamases from Enterobacter cloacae P99, Escherichia coli TEM-1, and Bacillus cereus (type II). In general, the E. cloacae enzyme was found to most rapidly activate the majority of these prodrugs. Phenylacetamido prodrug 2 and delta-carboxybutanamido prodrug 4 were both activated in an immunospecific manner by L6-E. cloacae beta-lactamase, a monoclonal antibody conjugate that binds to receptors on H2981 lung adenocarcinoma cells.