Design, synthesis and biological activity of a pyrrolo [2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBD)-distamycin hybrid.

Abstract We report the synthesis of a new hybrid 13 which is a combination of the naturally occurring antitumor agent distamycin A 1 and the pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine 11 , related to the naturally occurring anthramycin 2 . The antitumor activity of the hybrid 13 was tested in vitro and compared to the natural product distamycin 1 and the PBD 11 .