Cancer selective metallocenedicarboxylates of the fungal cytotoxin illudin M

The diester 2a obtained from 1,1'-ferrocenedicarboxylic acid and the highly and indiscriminately cytotoxic fungal metabolite illudin M (1) displayed antiproliferative activity at submicromolar IC(50) (72 h) values against a panel of eight cancer cell lines. Compound 2a was about 40 times less toxic than 1 to nonmalignant human foreskin fibroblasts (HF). The analogous bis(illudinyl M) 1,1'-ruthenocenedicarboxylate (2b) exhibited submicromolar IC(50) (72 h) values only against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7/Topo breast carcinoma and HL-60 leukemia cells. Cytotoxicity studies in the presence of inhibitors of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) or extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) revealed that the high efficacy of 2a, but not that of 2b, against HCT-116 colon cancer cells depends on active JNK/ERK signaling. A new illudin M lactone 5 was of low anticancer activity, but its ruthenocene diester 6b also reached single-digit micromolar IC(50) (72 h) values in HCT-116, MCF-7, and HL-60 leukemia cells while not affecting HF. Compounds 2a and 6b were tolerated by mice symptom-free at single doses as high as 25 mg/kg body weight, which is evidence for them being chemically stable under physiological conditions. Compound 2a displayed a manageable in vivo toxicity profile when given repeatedly in high doses.