Aryl imidazoles and their use as anti-cancer agents

1. A method of treating cancer in a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of a compound of formula (VI):

or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:

R4, R5, R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkylalkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, cyano, —CONHHN 2 or —S(O) 0-2 R wherein R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, or substituted heteroaryl;

R6 is hydrogen, halogen, CN, NO 2 , HN 2 , or —OR, wherein R is C1-C10 alkyl or arylalky;

R9 is hydrogen, C1-C10 alkyl, aryl, or halogen;

x is CR11;

y is CR12 or N;

z is CR13 or N;

r is CR14 or N;

x′ is CR15;

y′ is CR16 or N;

z′ is CR17 or N;

r′ is CR18 or N;

R10 is H, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, methoxy, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, acyl or —SO 2 PhCH 3 ;

R11, R12, R14, R15, R16, and R18 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkylalkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, cyano, —N═CRR′, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from H, alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl; or —NHC(S)NH-phenyl (unsubstituted); and,

R13 and R17 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkylalkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, cyano, —N═CRR′, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from H, alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl; or —NHC(S)NH-phenyl (unsubstituted);

substituted lower alkyl is a lower alkyl group substituted with one or more of hydroxyl, thiol, alkylthiol, halogen, alkoxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocycle, cycloheteroalkyl, substituted cycloheteroalkyl, acyl, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, alkyl alkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkyl cycloalkyl, alkyl cycloheteroalkyl, nitro, or cyano;

substituted lower alkenyl is a lower alkenyl group substituted with one or more of hydroxyl, thiol, alkylthiol, halogen, alkoxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocycle, cycloheteroalkyl, substituted cycloheteroalkyl, acyl, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkyl alkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkyl cycloalkyl, alkyl cycloheteroalkyl, nitro, or cyano;

substituted lower alkynyl is a lower alkynyl group substituted with one or more of hydroxyl, thiol, alkylthiol, halogen, alkoxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, heterocycle, cycloheteroalkyl, substituted cycloheteroalkyl, acyl, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkyl alkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkyl cycloalkyl, alkyl cycloheteroalkyl, nitro, or cyano;

substituted aryl is an aryl group substituted with one or more of halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, substituted heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, sulfamido, cyano or —N═CRR′, wherein R and R′ are independently selected from H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl;

substituted heterocycle is a heterocycle group substituted with halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, substituted heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, sulfamido or cyano;

substituted heteroaryl is a heterocycle group substituted with one or more of halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, heteroalkyl, substituted heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, sulfamido, cyano or —N═CRR′ wherein R and R′ are independently selected from H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, substituted heterocycle, heteroaryl or substituted heteroaryl;

substituted cycloalkyl is a cycloalkyl group substituted with one or more of halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, trifluoromethyl, lower alkenyl, substituted lower alkenyl, lower-alkynyl, substituted lower alkynyl, alkylalkenyl, alkyl alkynyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, alkylcycloalkyl, alkylcycloheteroalkyl, nitro, sulfamido or cyano; and

cancer is selected from the group of: breast cancer, central nervous system cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, renal cancer, stomach cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said cancer is a solid tumour.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the solid tumour is selected from the group consisting of cancers of the brain, breast, cervix, colon, kidney, lung, ovary, pancreas, prostate, stomach, and non-small cell lung cancer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said compound is administered in combination with an anti-cancer agent.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mammal is a human.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula VI:

R4, R5, R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, lower alkyl, substituted lower alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, acyl, aryloxy, amino, amido, carboxyl, aryl, substituted aryl, nitro, cyano, —CONHNH 2 or —S(O) 0-2 R wherein R is alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heterocycle, heteroaryl, substituted heterocycle, or substituted heteroaryl.

7. (The method of claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula VI:

x is CR11;

y is CR12;

z is CR13;

r is CR14;

x′ is CR15;

y′ is CR16;

z′ is CR17; and

r′ is CR18.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the compound of formula VI:

x is CR11;

y is CR12;

z is CR13;

r is CR14 or N;

x′ is CR15;

y′ is CR16;

z′ is CR17; and

r′ is CR18 or N.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the compound is selected from:

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said compound is:

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer is selected from Hodgkin's Disease, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, neuroblastoma, primary macroglobulinemia, small-cell lung tumours, primary brain tumours, malignant pancreatic insulanoma, gliomas, adrenal cortical cancer, and medulloblastoma.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is leukemia.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the leukemia is adult T-cell leukemia.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the leukemia is acute lymphocytic leukemia.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is lymphoma.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is stomach cancer.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is multiple myeloma.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is refractory cancer.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein

R6 is halogen or hydrogen;

R9 is C1-C10 alkyl;

x is CR11;

y is CR12;

z is CR13;

r is N;

x′ is CR15;

y′ is CR16;

z′ is CR17;

r′ is N;

R4, R5, R7 and R8 are hydrogen;

R10 is hydrogen, and

R11, R12, R13, R15, R16, and R17 are hydrogen.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the cancer is leukemia.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia.