Abstract
A series of new 3- and 7-substituted sulfocoumarins was obtained by several cyclization reactions and subsequent derivatization for screening as prodrug inhibitors of the human (h) cancer-associated carbonic anhydrases (CAs) IX and XII. All products were ineffective inhibitors against the off-target hCA I and II, whilst hCAs IX and XII were inhibited with inhibition constants (KIs) spanning from low nanomolar to the high micromolar range, according to the sulfocoumarin derivatization pattern. In particular, sulfocoumarin 15 turned out to be the most potent and selective inhibitor herein reported (hCA I and II: KI > 100 µM; hCA IX: KI = 22.9 nM; hCA XII: KI = 19.2 nM). Considering that hCA IX and XII validated anti-tumor targets, such prodrug, isoform-selective inhibitors as the sulfocoumarins reported here may be useful for identifying suitable drug candidates for clinical trials.