Synthesis and Structure–Activity Evaluation of Isatin-β-thiosemicarbazones with Improved Selective Activity toward Multidrug-Resistant Cells Expressing P-Glycoprotein

Cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters presents a significant unresolved clinical challenge. One strategy to resolve MDR is to develop compounds that selectively kill cells overexpressing the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (MDR1, P-gp, ABCB1). We have previously reported structure–activity studies based around the lead compound NSC73306 (1, 1-isatin-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-thiosemicarbazone, 4.3-fold selective). Here we sought to extend this work on MDR1-selective analogues by establishing whether 1 showed “robust” activity against a range of cell lines expressing P-gp. We further aimed to synthesize and test analogues with varied substitution at the N4-position, and substitution around the N4-phenyl ring of isatin-β-thiosemicarbazones (IBTs), to identify compounds with increased MDR1-selectivity. Compound 1 demonstrated MDR1-selectivity against all P-gp-expressing cell lines examined. This selectivity was reversed by inhibitors of P-gp ATPase activity. Structural variation at the 4′-phenyl position of 1 yielded compounds of greater MDR1-selectivity. Two of these analogues, 1-isatin-4-(4′-nitrophenyl)-3-thiosemicarbazone (22, 8.3-fold selective) and 1-isatin-4-(4′-tert-butyl phenyl)-3-thiosemicarbazone (32, 14.8-fold selective), were selected for further testing and were found to retain the activity profile of 1. These compounds are the most active IBTs identified to date.