New cancer cells apoptosis agents: Fluorinated aza-heterocycles

Fluorinated benzo-fused 1,3-diazoles, 1,2,3-triazoles, 1,2,5-thia/selenadiazoles and 1,4-diazines were synthesized and tried for cytotoxicity towards the Hep2 (laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma) cells. The diazoles, triazoles and selenadiazoles were cytotoxic with IC₅₀ = 2.2–26.4 µM and induced the cells apoptosis at concentrations C = 1–25 µM. At the same time, they were nontoxic towards normal cells. Due to this, these scaffolds were used in the computer-aided molecular design of new antitumor agents. Particularly, novel 1,2,3-triazole and 1,3-diazole derivatives for the binding site of the PAS domain of the transcription factor HIF were designed and some of them synthesized for further study. Overall, new anticancer agents featuring apoptotic activity are suggested.