| abstract |
A method is provided for inhibiting growth of cancer cells comprising contacting said cells with an effective growth-inhibiting amount of a compound of the formula (II): <IMAGE> (II) or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein A1 and A2 are individually L-amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of Ala, Pro, Gly, Glu, Leu, Lys, Phe, Ser, Val, Ile, Arg, Tyr, Thr, Asp, Asn and Gly; R1 is C1-C6(alkyl) which is unsubstituted or is substituted with an aromatic substituent or one or more in-chain bivalent groups selected from the group consisting of -O-, -CO-, -S-, -NH-, -CONH-, CH=CH-, and -SO2-; Y1 and Y2 are each H, or taken together from a moiety derived from a dihydroxy compound, and R1 is H or an N-terminal protecting group. |