A VERSATILE APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF COMBRETASTATINS

A new and versatile synthesis of combretastatins has been developed. S tarring from commercially available materials, 2-phenyl-2-benzyl-1,3-d ithianes were easily prepared and used as intermediates in the synthes is of several families of combretastatins. This approach facilitates t he preparation of representative intermediates in a few steps, with or without an oxygenated function in the ethylenic residue. Many differe nt analogues suitable for pharmacological evaluation can also be obtai ned from some of these intermediates.