Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 4a/4ß-Imidazolyl Podophyllotoxin Analogues as Antitumor Agents

A series of 4 alpha/4 beta-imidazolyl podophyllotoxin analogues have been designed and synthesized. All of the compounds were evaluated for their anticancer activity against a panel of three human cancer cell lines. Within the cell lines tested, some of the synthesized compounds showed promising anticancer activity. Compound 12, in particular, exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity, demonstrating effects against all tumor cell lines, including the K562/ADM cell line.