10.1021/jm010298j
The study focuses on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of trans-stilbene derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of human cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1), an enzyme implicated in chemical carcinogenesis and estrogen metabolism. The researchers synthesized a series of trans-stilbene compounds containing a 3,5-dimethoxyphenyl moiety through an efficient solution phase synthetic pathway. These compounds were tested for their inhibitory activities on human cytochrome P450s, specifically CYP1A1, 1A2, and 1B1. The most selective and potent CYP1B1 inhibitor identified was 2,3′,4,5′-tetramethoxystilbene (7a). The study aimed to find compounds that could prevent mammary tumor formation by inhibiting CYP1B1-dependent estrogen metabolism, which may be valuable for the development of chemopreventive or therapeutic agents for cancer. The chemicals used in the study served as synthetic precursors for the stilbene derivatives and as tools to understand the structure-activity relationships of these compounds as CYP1B1 inhibitors.