Discovery of 4-Aryl-2-benzoyl-imidazoles as Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor with Potent Antiproliferative Properties

A series of 4-aryl-2-benzoyl-imidazoles were designed and synthesized based on our previously reported 2-aryl-4-benzoyl-imidazole (ABI) derivatives. The new structures reversed the aryl group and the benzoyl group of previous ABI structures and were named as reverse ABI (RABI) analogues. RABIs were evaluated for biological activity against eight cancer cell lines including multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines. In vitro assays indicated that...