Discovery of novel N-benzylbenzamide derivatives as tubulin polymerization inhibitors with potent antitumor activities

A series of novel N-benzylbenzamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Among fifty-one target compounds, compound 20b exhibited significant antiproliferative activities with IC50 values ranging from 12 to 27 nM against several cancer cell lines, and possessed good plasma stability and satisfactory physicochemical properties. Mechanism studies demonstrated that 20b bound to the colchicine binding site...