New cytostatic agents obtained by molecular topology

Four new cytostatic compounds have been obtained by computer aided selection based on Molecular Connectivity, a topological approach to molecular structural study. Three of them, namely tetracycline, doxycycline and piromidic acid are well known antibiotic agents, and the fourth, carminic acid, is an innocuous colorant. Although no previous report of activity was found, on the used cell lines, for any of the selected compounds, carminic acid may be considered a new lead one since no structure-related cytostatic molecules have been reported in the literature. These results are interesting for two reasons: First, new potential low-toxicity anticancer drugs show to be a possible therapy, and second, the usefulness of our topological approach in evaluating pharmacological mechanisms of action, already demonstrated in the search for other therapeutical agents, is confirmed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd