The cytotoxicity of amine-cyanoboranes, amine-cyanoalkylboranes and aminomethyl-phosphonate cyanoborane adducts against the growth of murine and human tissue culture cells.

The amine-cyanoboranes, the amine-cyanoalkylboranes and the aminomethyl-phosphonate-N-cyanoborane adducts proved to be active antineoplastic agents. These compounds were more effective against single cell cultured cell growth rather than solid tumors. The following amine-cyanoboranes, (CH3)2(C18H37)NBH2CN (5), (CH3)2NHBH[CH(CH3)2]CN (7) and (CH3)3NB(CN)2.CH3 (10), were the most active in vivo and in vitro. A related phosphine-cyanoborane was also very active in both in vivo and in vitro model screens. Of the amino-methyl-phosphonate-N-cyanoborane adducts, (CH3O)2.P(O)CH2N(C2H5)2BH2CN (13) proved to be the most active. The amine-cyanoalkylboranes had the poorest in vivo activity; the in vitro cytotoxicity, however, was similar to that of other cyanoboranes.