Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of new farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors.

New CA(1)A(2)X peptidomimetics are described as Ras farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs). They include cysteine and methionine as mimetics of the C-terminus sequence of farnesylated proteins. Furthermore, cysteine was replaced by heterocycles, taking into account the role of zinc and the metabolic instability of amino acids. The molecular docking of 8 in the active site of the enzyme and the pharmacological evaluation of the compounds are illustrative of a new class of FTIs.