In this paper, we report the synthesis of a phenanthroline and neomycin conjugate (7). Compound 7 binds to a human telomeric G‐quadruplex (G1) with a higher affinity compared with its parent compounds (phenanthroline and neomycin), which is determined by several biophysical studies. Compound 7 shows good selectivity for G‐quadruplex (G4) DNA over duplex DNA. The binding of 7 with G1 is predominantly enthalpy‐driven, and the binding stoichiometry of 7 with G1 is one for the tight‐binding event as determined by ESI mass spectrometry. A plausible binding mode is a synergistic effect of end‐stacking and groove interactions, as indicated by docking studies. Compound 7 can inhibit human telomerase activity at low micromolar concentrations, which is more potent than previously reported 5‐substituted phenanthroline derivatives.
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