Synthesis and biological activity of 6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine thienoyl regioisomers as inhibitors of de novo purine biosynthesis with selectivity for cellular uptake by high affinity folate receptors and the proton-coupled folate transporter over the reduced folate carrier.

We previously reported the selective transport of classical 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines with a thienoyl-for-benzoyl-substituted side chain and a three- (3a) and four-carbon (3b) bridge. Compound 3a was more potent than 3b against tumor cells. While 3b was completely selective for transport by folate receptors (FRs) and the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) over the reduced folate carrier (RFC), 3a was not. To determine if decreasing the distance between the bicyclic scaffold and l-glutamate in 3b would preserve transport selectivity and potency against human tumor cells, 3b regioisomers with [1,3] (7 and 8) and [1,2] (4, 5, and 6) substitutions on the thienoyl ring and with acetylenic insertions in the four-atom bridge were synthesized and evaluated. Compounds 7 and 8 were potent nanomolar inhibitors of KB and IGROV1 human tumor cells with complete selectivity for FRα and PCFT over RFC.