Inhibition of Patched Drug Efflux Increases Vemurafenib Effectiveness against Resistant Braf Melanoma.

Melanoma patients harboring the BRAF mutation are treated with vemurafenib. Almost all of them ultimately acquire resistance, leading to disease progression. Here, we find that a small molecule from a marine sponge, panicein A hydroquinone (PAH), overcomes resistance of BRAF melanoma cells to vemurafenib, leading to tumor elimination in corresponding human xenograft models in mice.

Dual Role of Acetanilides: Traceless Removal of a Directing Group through Deacetylation/Diazotation and Palladium-Catalyzed C-C-Coupling Reactions.

The acetamide group enables regioselective oxidative ortho-C-H activation reactions, such as Pd-catalyzed acylation. The synthetic utility of these transformations can be significantly enhanced by using the acetamide as a quasi-leaving group in a subsequent conventional Pd-catalyzed coupling or cross-coupling reaction. The concept is illustrated herein for the synthesis of o-alkenyl- and o-arylphenones, which have potential for the synthesis of arylated aromatic heterocycles.

Scope and limitations of the Heck-Matsuda-coupling of phenol diazonium salts and styrenes: a protecting-group economic synthesis of phenolic stilbenes.

4-Phenol diazonium salts undergo Pd-catalyzed Heck reactions with various styrenes to 4'-hydroxy stilbenes. In almost all cases higher yields and fewer side products were observed, compared to the analogous 4-methoxy benzene diazonium salts. In contrast, the reaction fails completely with 2- and 3-phenol diazonium salts.

Selective arene functionalization through sequential oxidative and non-oxidative Heck reactions.

A sequence of acetamide directed oxidative Heck reaction and deacetylation-diazotation-Heck coupling allows the traceless removal of the acetamide group and its dual exploitation as a catalyst directing group and a leaving group.