The first total synthesis of waihoensene, a tetracyclic diterpene containing an angular triquinane and a six-membered ring, with four contiguous quaternary carbon atoms, was achieved through the tandem cycloaddition reaction of an allenyl diazo substrate containing a six-membered ring via trimethylenemethane (TMM) diyl intermediate.

Nm23-H1/NDPK-A is a tumor metastasis suppressor having NDP kinase (NDPK) activity. Nm23-H1 is positively associated with prolonged disease-free survival and good prognosis of cancer patients. Approaches to increasing the cellular levels of Nm23-H1 therefore have significance in the therapy of metastatic cancers. We found a small molecule, (±)-trans-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-[(E)-3,4-dimethoxystyryl]cyclohex-1-ene, that activates Nm23, hereafter called NMac1. NMac1 directly binds to Nm23-H1 and increases its NDPK activity. Employing various NMac1 derivatives and hydrogen/deuterium mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), we identified the pharmacophore and mode of action of NMac1. We found that NMac1 binds to the C-terminal of Nm23-H1 and induces the NDPK activation through its allosteric conformational changes. NMac1-treated MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells showed dramatic changes in morphology and actin-cytoskeletal organization following inhibition of Rac1 activation. NMac1 also suppressed invasion and migration in vitro, and metastasis in vivo, in a breast cancer mouse model. NMac1 as an activator of NDPK has potential as an anti-metastatic agent.

Zn/Cu­(OTf)2-mediated addition of alkyl bromides to dehydroalanine (Dha) derivatives including dipeptides and tripeptides in good to high yields under an aqueous medium was developed. This protocol allows selective and biocompatible access to various amino acid units from Dha derivatives.

The first total synthesis of waihoensene, a tetracyclic diterpene containing an angular triquinane and a six‐membered ring, with four contiguous quaternary carbon atoms, was achieved through the tandem cycloaddition reaction of an allenyl diazo substrate containing a six‐membered ring via trimethylenemethane (TMM) diyl intermediate.