New 3'-O-aromatic acyl-5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine derivatives as potential anticancer agents.

New aromatic and aliphatic 3'-O-acyl-5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as candidates for prodrugs against various cancer cell lines. As the most promising candidate for antimalignant therapeutics was found a dual-acting acyl derivative 7h, which apparently released not only the known anticancer nucleoside, 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdU), but also an additional active metabolite, acetylsalicylic acid, reinforcing thus therapeutic effect of FdU. Promising therapeutic indices showed also some aromatic dicarboxylic acids derivatives decorated with FdU esters (11 and 12).