Alkylating agents which are activated by glutathion-S-transferases (GSTs) have been designed and synthesized. The model compound gamma-glutamyl-alpha-amino-beta-[(2-ethyl N,N,N',N'-tetraethylphosphorodiamidate) sulfonyl]propionylglycine (1) and the nitrogen mustards gamma-glutamyl-alpha- amino-beta-[[2-ethyl N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (2-chloroethyl)phosphorodiamidate] sulfonyl]propionylglycine (2) and gamma-glutamyl-alpha-amino-beta-[[2-ethyl-N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2- chloroethyl)phosphorodiamidate]sulfonyl]-propionyl-(R)-(-)-phenylg lycine (3) were prepared via multistep chemical synthesis. The compounds were tested with recombinant human A1-1, M1a-1a and P1-1 GSTs. HPLC studies showed that the compounds were differentially and catalytically cleaved by biologically relevant concentrations of the GSTs. Mass spectral studies of the cleavage mixture of 2 showed that M1a-1a GST liberated the cytotoxic phosphate moiety needed for efficacy as an alkylating agent. Cell culture studies with MCF-7 breast cancer cells showed that 1 was not toxic at 200 microM, while 2 and 3 showed IC50S of 40.6 and 37.5 microM, respectively, for the same cell line. MCF-7 cells transfected to overexpress P1-1 GST showed enhanced sensitivity with 2 and 3, with IC50S of 20.9 and 9.5 microM, respectively. This result correlates well with the rates of cleavage of 2 and 3 by P1-1 GST observed in vitro and demonstrates that higher levels of cellular P1-1 GST will give increased sensitivity to these drugs.

In search of compounds with improved specificity for targeting the important cancer-associated P1-1 glutathione S-transferase (GST) isozyme, new analogs 4 and 5 of the previously reported glutathione S-transferase (GST)-activated latent alkylating agent gamma-glutamyl-alpha-amino-beta-[[[2-[[bis[bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]ph osp horyl]oxy]ethyl]sulfonyl]propionyl]-(R)-(-)-phenylglycine (3) have been designed, synthesized, and evaluated. One of the diastereomers of 4 exhibited good selectivity for GST P1-1. The tetrabromo analog 5 of the tetrachloro compound 3 maintained its specificity and was found to be more readily activated by GSTs than 3. The GST activation concept was further broadened through design, synthesis, and evaluation of a novel latent urethane mustard 8 and its diethyl ester 9. Interestingly, 8 showed very good specificity for P1-1 GST. Cell culture studies were carried out on 4, 5, 8, and 9 using cell lines engineered to have varying levels of GST P1-1 isozyme. New analogs 4 and 5 exhibited increased toxicity to cell lines with overexpressed GST P1-1 isozyme. The urethane mustard 8 and its diethyl ester 9 were found to be not as toxic. However, they too exhibited more toxicity to a cell line engineered to have elevated P1-1 levels, which was in agreement with the observed in vitro specificity of 8 for P1-1 GST isozyme. Mechanistic studies on alkaline as well as enzyme-catalyzed decomposition of latent mustard 3 provided experimental proof for the hypothesis that 3 breaks down into an active phosphoramidate mustard and a reactive vinyl sulfone. The alkylating nature of the decomposition products was further demonstrated by trapping those transient species as relatively stable diethyldithiocarbamic acid adducts. These results substantially extend previous efforts to develop drugs targeting GST and provide a paradigm for development of other latent drugs.

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