Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of pteridine dione and trione monocarboxylate transporter 1 inhibitors

Novel substituted pteridine-derived inhibitors of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), an emerging target for cancer therapy, are reported. The activity of these compounds as inhibitors of lactate transport was confirmed using a ¹⁴C-lactate transport assay, and their potency against MCT1-expressing human tumor cells was established using MTT assays. The four most potent compounds showed substantial anticancer activity (EC₅₀ 37–150 nM) vs MCT1-expressing human Raji lymphoma cells.