Chemistry of potent anti-cancer compounds, amphidinolides

Amphidinolides A-V represent a family of cytotoxic marine natural products with diverse structural features and pronounced biological activities. Kobayashi and his research group have been reporting over the years the discoveries of these remarkable molecules, one after another, since 1986 when the first report of the series appeared. Thanks to their perseverance and painstaking research, the family is still expanding. The unique structural features and biological activity profiles of these macrolides have obviously attracted the attention of organic chemists worldwide. The total syntheses of three members of the family, amphidinolides J, K and P, have already been achieved. This review tries to chronicle the fascinating chemistries of amphidinolides, studies on the syntheses of some of these molecules and their biological activity profiles.