Purpose: Hemolysis is a serious side effect of antitumor alkylphospholipids (APLs) that limits dose levels and is a constraint in their use in therapeutic regimen. Nine prodrugs of promising APLs (miltefosine, perifosine, and erufosine) were synthesized so as to decrease their membrane activity and improve their toxicity profile while preserving their antineoplastic potency.
Methods: The synthesis of the pro-APLs was straightforwardly achieved in one step starting from the parent APLs. The critical aggregation concentration of the prodrugs, their hydrolytic stability under various pH conditions, their blood compatibility and cytotoxicity in three different cell lines were determined and compared to those of the parent antitumor lipids.
Results: The APL prodrugs display antitumor activity which is similar to that of the parent alkylphospholipids but without associated hemolytic toxicity.
Conclusion: The pro-APL compounds may be considered as intravenously injectable derivatives of APLs. They could thus address one of the major issues met in cancer therapies involving antitumor lipids and restricting their utilization to oral and topical administration because of limited maximum tolerated dose.
Keywords: alkylphospholipid; erufosine; hemolytic toxicity; miltefosine; perifosine; prodrug.