Pyrrolopyrimidines as potential kinase inhibitors

Tyrosine kinases (TK) are enzymes which bind ATP and catalyse the transfer of ?-phosphate to hydroxy groups of tyrosine residues in proteins, regulating their activity and function. Several tyrosine kinases can be targets for cancer chemotherapy, the most important being the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK).[1] Further, there is evidence TK inhibitors have prospects of becoming efficient antiprotozoal agents.[2] Another interesting finding is the that the ErbB2 tyrosine kinase is involved in developing leprosy, and that the breakdown of myelin causing the disease can be blocked by kinase inhibitors.[3, 4] On this background we have undertaken the synthesis and characterisation of pyrrolopyrimidines, and present their synthesis and preliminary EGFR tyrosine kinase activity.