Myeloid differentiation inducing agents

1. A method of treating acute myeloid leukemia in a subject, the method comprising:

administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of at least one securinine analogue, wherein the securinine analogue has the following formula:

wherein α is a single or double bond;

R 5 and R 6 are the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl, C 3 -C 20 aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkenyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms (wherein from 1-3 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), NC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), O, and S), C 6 -C 24 alkaryl, C 6 -C 24 aralkyl, halo, —Si(C 1 -C 3 alkyl) 3 , hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 24 alkoxy, C 2 -C 24 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 24 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl (including C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonyl (—CO-alkyl) and C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonyl (—CO-aryl)), acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 24 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl-carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)), arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), thiocarbamoyl (—(CS)—NH 2 ), carbamido (—NH—(CO)—NH 2 ), cyano(—CN), isocyano (—N+C − ), cyanato (—O—CN), isocyanato (—O—N + ═C − ), isothiocyanato (—S—CN), azido (—N═N + ═N − ), formyl (—(CO)—H), thioformyl (—(CS)—H), amino (—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl amino, C 5 -C 20 aryl amino, C 2 -C 24 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), imino (—CR═NH where R is hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 5 -C 20 aryl, C 6 -C 24 alkaryl and C 6 -C 24 aralkyl), alkylimino (—CR═N(alkyl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl), arylimino (—CR═N(aryl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl and alkaryl), nitro (—NO 2 ), nitroso (—NO), sulfo (—SO 2 —OH), sulfonato (—SO 2 —O − ), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfanyl (—S-alkyl), arylsulfanyl (—S-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfinyl (—(SO)-alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfinyl (—(SO)-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -aryl), phosphono (—P(O)(OH) 2 ), phosphonato (—P(O)(O − ) 2 ), phosphinato (—P(O)(O − )), phospho (—PO 2 ), and phosphino (—PH 2 ), wherein at least one of R 5 or R 6 is not hydrogen; and

pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the securinine or securinine analogue has the following formula:

R 5 and R 6 are the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl, C 3 -C 20 aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkenyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms (wherein from 1-3 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), NC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), O, and S), C 6 -C 24 alkaryl, C 6 -C 24 aralkyl, halo, —Si(C 1 -C 3 alkyl) 3 , hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 24 alkoxy, C 2 -C 24 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 24 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl (including C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonyl (—CO-alkyl) and C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonyl (—CO-aryl)), acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 24 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O— alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl-carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)), arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), thiocarbamoyl (—(CS)—NH 2 ), carbamido (—NH—(CO)—NH 2 ), cyano(—CN), isocyano (—N+C − ), cyanato (—O—CN), isocyanato (—O—N+=C − ), isothiocyanato (—S—CN), azido (—N═N + N − ), formyl (—(CO)—H), thioformyl (—(CS)—H), amino (—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl amino, C 5 -C 20 aryl amino, C 2 -C 24 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)— alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), imino (—CR═NH where R is hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, C 6 -C 24 alkaryl and C 6 -C 24 aralkyl), alkylimino (—CR═N(alkyl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl), arylimino (—CR═N(aryl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl and alkaryl), nitro (—NO 2 ), nitroso (—NO), sulfo (—SO 2 —OH), sulfonato (—SO 2 —O − ), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfanyl (—S-alkyl), arylsulfanyl (—S-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfinyl (—(SO)-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylsulfinyl (—(SO)-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -aryl), phosphono (—P(O)(OH) 2 ), phosphonato (—P(O)(O − ) 2 ), phosphinato (—P(O)(O − )), phospho (—PO 2 ), phosphino (—PH 2 ), and combinations thereof; and

pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the securinine analogue is selected from the group consisting of:

and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anti-proliferative agent is an anti-metabolite and/or a nucleoside analog.