The contribution of a 2-amino group on receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition and antiangiogenic activity in 4-anilinosubstituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines.

Comparison between a series of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with and without the 2-amino group is presented in order to determine the validity of our hypothesis that inclusion of this group improves potency against receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK). The 2-amino analogs were better against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and platelet derived growth factor-beta (PDGFR-beta) in whole cell inhibition assays and in the A431 cytotoxicity assay compared to the 2-desamino analogs. However, the 2-desamino analogs were more potent inhibitors against vascular endothelial growth factor-2 (VEGFR-2) than the corresponding 2-amino compounds. In addition, none of the 2-desamino compounds exhibited better anti-angiogenic activity in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay as compared to the standard and were only micromolar inhibitors. This study validates our original hypothesis that the inclusion of a 2-amino group in pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines improves multiple RTK inhibition and antiangiogenic activity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.