Modular, parallel synthesis of an illudinoid combinatorial library.

[structure: see text] A library of 49 illudinoids was prepared via a three-step synthesis using a parallel synthesizer and solid-phase extractive purification. Products could be rapidly prepared for initial biological testing against three cancer cell lines, which revealed library members that inhibit nonsmall cell lung cancer. The activities of the library members are not easily correlated with structure, meaning the empirical approach used here is essential for such nonintuitive discoveries.