Synthesis of potential anticancer agents: imidazo[4,5-c]pyridines and imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines.

The 1,2-dihydropyrido[3,4-b]pyrazines (1) are mitotic inhibitors with significant antitumor activity in mice. Also, the active imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine 3 was shown to cause the accumulation of cells at mitosis. Routes were developed for the synthesis of congeners of 3 by cyclization of 4-(substituted amino)-5,6-diaminopyridines with ethyl orthoformate. Oxidative cyclization of either 4,5- or 5,6-diaminopyridines with aryl aldehydes produced the [4,5-c] and [4,5-b] imidazopyridine ring systems, respectively. The latter reaction with 6-(substituted amino)-4,5-diaminopyridines gave imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine ring analogues of 1. Biological studies indicated that the target compounds were less active than 1 and 3.