Novel indolizine derivatives with unprecedented inhibitory activity on human farnesyltransferase.

The rational structural modification of new substituted indolizin-3-yl(phenyl)methanones 1a-i, 2a-i and 3a-i has greatly improved human farnesyltransferase inhibition. The para-bromophenyl analog 2f bearing an ester unit on the indolizine ring demonstrates the highest inhibition potential, with IC50 value of 1.3±0.

New farnesyltransferase inhibitors in the phenothiazine series.

The biological screening of the chemical library of our Organic Chemistry Department, carried out on an automated fluorescence-based FTase assay, allowed us to discover that a phenothiazine derivative (1d) was an inhibitor of farnesyltransferase. Three new series of human farnesyltransferase inhibitors, based on a phenothiazine scaffold, were synthesized with protein farnesyltransferase inhibition potencies in the low micromolar range. Ester derivative 9d was the most active compound in these series.