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The first enantioselective formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition of aurone analogues with isocyanoacetates was developed via chiral Ag-complex catalysis. A variety of optically enriched spiro-1-pyrrolines were obtained in excellent yields, diastero- and enantioselectivities (up to 99% yield, >20:1 dr, >99% ee). This synthetic approach represents an extremely simple, efficient, and atom-economical method for spiro-1-pyrrolines synthesis.

Calothrixin A (CAA) is a dual Topo I and II inhibitor but exhibits poor antiproliferative activities and water solubility. Herein, a library of novel CAA analogues was synthesized. Among them, compound F16 exhibited superior water solubility (>5 mg/mL) as compared to CAA (<5 μg/mL). The mechanism of action studies confirmed that F16 acted as a dual Topo I and II poison. Furthermore, F16 displayed potent antiproliferative activities against high Topo I and II expression cell lines A375 and HCT116, with IC50 values of 20 and 50 nM, respectively. In xenograft models, F16 reduced the tumor growth at a dose of 10 or 20 mg/kg without apparent effect on the mouse weight, while the clinically used Topo II inhibitor VP-16 dramatically reduced the mouse weight. Collectively, our data demonstrated that F16 could be a promising lead for the development of novel dual Topo I and II antitumor agents.

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