Synthesis and carbonic anhydrase inhibition of a series of SLC-0111 analogs

SLC-0111 is a sulfonamide carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitor (CAI) in Phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of advanced hypoxic tumors complicated with metastases. Its antitumor effects are due to inhibition of the enzymatic activity of CA IX, an isoform predominantly found in tumors/metastases, but it also reduces the cancer stem cells population. Here we report the synthesis of analogs of SLC-0111, both of the sulfanilamide and metanilamide series, which possess diverse substitution patterns at the terminal ureido-phenyl moiety, thus including one or more halogens, trifluoromethyl, perchloro-/perfluorophenyl groups instead of the 4-fluorophenyl present in SLC-0111. Most of the sulfanilamide ureido derivatives were highly effective inhibitors of the tumor associated isoform and some showed selective CA IX/XII inhibitory profiles. Most of the sulfanilamide ureido derivatives were highly effective and in some cases selective CA IX/XII inhibitors, whereas the metanilamide ureido derivatives were less effective as transmembrane CA isoforms inhibitors. Structure activity relationship for this class of sulfonamides is discussed in detail.