2-[(Carboxymethyl)sulfanyl]-4-oxo-4-arylbutanoic acids selectively suppressed proliferation of neoplastic human HeLa cells. A SAR/QSAR study

A series of twenty alkyl-, halo-, and methoxy-aryl-substituted 2-[(carboxymethyl)sulfanyl]-4-oxo-4-arylbutanoic acids were synthesized. The new compounds, called CSAB, suppressed proliferation of human cervix carcinoma, HeLa cells, in vitro in a concentration range of 0.644 to 29.48 mu M/L. Two compounds exhibit antiproliferative activity in sub-micromolar concentrations (16, 19). Five compounds act in low micromolar concentrations (< 2 mu M/L). The most active compounds exert lower cytotoxicity toward healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC and PBMC+PHA) (selectivity indexes > 10). A strong structure-activity relationship, using estimated log P values and BCUT descriptors, was observed.