Proteasome inhibition in human breast cancer cells with high catechol-O-methyltransferase activity by green tea polyphenol EGCG analogs

A pro-drug 8 of a synthetic analog 7 is more active in its antiproliferative activity against human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells possessing high catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity than the prodrugs of EGCG and the analog 5. The higher activity of 8 is attributed to it not being a substrate of COMT. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.