Elaborating on efficient anti-proliferation agents of cancer cells and anti-inflammatory-based N-bisphosphonic acids

Methylenebisphosponic acid tetraethyl ester (1) was added to 2-azido-7a-e and 2-chloroquinoline-3-chalcones 10a-e in boiling sodium ethanolate solution to give, via Michael addition, tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline-8a-d, 13a and 2-chloroquinoline-based bisphosphonates 11a-d, 14a in E-configuration. Further acid hydrolysis afforded the respective BP-acid analogues E-9a-d, 12a-d, 13b, and 14b in excellent yields. Anti-tumor activity screening for the new BP-acids at a dose of 10 µM utilizing 44 different human tumor cell lines representing breast, ovary, prostate, lung, and CNS cancer as well as leukemia and melanoma was carried out. Eight of ten tested compounds exhibited remarkable anti-tumor activity against breast and prostate cancer, and a promising anti-tumor sensitivity toward ovarian cancer and melanoma. Conversely, there was only scattered activity against leukemia and no noticeable action of these BP-acids on CNS or lung cancer. Based on the prediction results (PASS program), anti-inflammatory activity of the new acids was also determined in vivo, by the acute carrageenin induced paw edema in rats. Many of these compounds showed anti-inflammatory properties at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight.