Furanosyl analogs of BAU (5-benzylacyclouridine) and BBAU (5-benzyloxybenzylacyclouridine), two potent inhibitors of uridine phosphorylase, were synthesized and evaluated as potential cancer chemotherapeutic agents. The analogs included ribosides, 2,2'-anhydro nucleosides, arabinosides and deoxyribosides. The anhydrouridine intermediates were potent inhibitors of uridine phosphorylase and good potentiators of FdUrd activity in hunan tumor cells in culture. © 1988, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
