The natural products with various chemical structures have been identified as anticancer agents. Several potential lead molecules such as vincristine, vinblastine, camptothecin, taxol etc. have been isolated from plants and many of them have been modified to obtain compounds with optimal pharmacological properties. Among them, successful molecules like irinotecan, topotecan, teniposide, taxotere, etoposide, etc. have appeared as drugs after modification of natural leads. Therefore the studies concentrated on natural products from various sources are still intensive. Our studies were focused on two groups of plant derived compounds as well as on vitamin D derivatives. The first group represents isoflavones, such as genistein, which are phytochemicals found along with soy protein. They are supposed to be responsible for the low incidence of prostate, mammary gland and colon cancer in Asian countries. Another one plant derived phytochemical is configuration of indolo[2,3-b]quinoline which exist in nature as indole alkaloid – neocryptolepine. It was discovered in extract from African plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. This alkaloid possess, among others, cytotoxic and antimalaric activity. Synthetic analog of neocryptolepine - 5,11-dimetylo-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline (DIMIQ)) is also structurally similar to elipticine – plant alkaloid with cytotoxic activity. On the other hand, serum active form of vitamin D₃, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ (calcitriol) level is found to be inversely related to incidence of some cancers. Calcitriol levels are determined by skin exposure to ultraviolet light and, to a minor extent, nutritional uptake and subsequent conversion of the precursor vitamin D to the active hormone by the cytochrome P450 hydroxylases.

In our studies we evaluated the anticancer effect of series of analogs of these three natural compounds alone and in combined therapy with known anticancer agents in several mouse and human tumour models. In the course of these studies we selected lead compounds especially from the group of vitamin D analogs, which represents agents showing better anticancer activity with lowered toxicity in comparison to calcitriol. We also conducted the studies on its mechanisms of action.

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1. Synthesis of new 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives with a high selective cytotoxic activity
2. Administration of isothiocyanate-derived mercapturic acids inhibits solid tumor growth of 4T1 murine mammary carcinoma cells in BALB/c mice
3. Preliminary studies on application of library of artificial receptors for differentiation of metabolites in urine of healthy and cancer mice
4. Starch derivatives as vehicles for drug delivery in anticancer therapy
5. Mercapturic acids as a naturally occurring isothiocyanates prodrug form with site-directed delivery system built-in based on an oxidative environment of the tumor
6. Synthesis and biological activity of novel N,N-cyclic-2,4-dihydroxythiobenzamide derivatives
7. Synthesis and anticancer activity of acetylenic derivatives of betulin
8. Interaction of endotoxin and polymyxin B in B16 mouse melanoma model of metatstasis
9. Anticancer activity of the conjugates:  modified fibrinogen – methotrexate.
10. Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of new Pt (II) complexes with nitropyrazoles in aerobic and hypoxic conditions
11. Vitamin D analogs enhance the activity of imatinib mesylate in human non-small cell lung cancer model
12. Colon cancer treatment with the use of vitamin D analogs and irinotecan 
13. Novel bifunctional synthetic isothiocyanates with high antiproliferative activity
14. Naturally occurring hydroxyalkyl isothiocyanates and isothiocyanatoalkyl benzoates - structure-activity and structure-mechanism of action relationship studies.
15. Synthesis and biological evaluation of new amino acid and dipeptide derivatives of neocryptolepine as anticancer agents. 
16. Antitumor activity of carrier-methotrexate conjugates.
17. CLA derivatives as functional food compounds
18. New acetylenic derivatives of betulin with anticancer activity
19. Catalytic synthesis and antiproliferative activity in vitro of polisubstituted isoxazolopyridine derivatives.
20. Steroid profile of Asplenium cuneifolium
21. The influence of (24R)-1,24- dihydroxyvitamin D₃ on the anticancer activity of 5-fluorouracil in human colon cancer model
22. Comparison of antiproliferative activity of the natural isothiocyanates and their mercapturic derivatives.
23. Could the calorically restricted ketogenic diet be an     effective alternative or supportive therapy for breast cancer?
24. Analogs of genistein and its possible anti-metastatic properties
25. The influence of novel analogs of vitamin D₃ on the antiproliferative activity of cisplatin or doxorubicin on human promyelocytic leukaemia cell line HL-60 
26. New amino acid and peptide derivatives of 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline and their biological activity.
27. The cytotoxic activity of glycosides of indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives.
28. Disubstituted indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives - the cytotoxic activity in vitro against various human tumor cell lines.
29. Mono substituted 5H- and 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives and their ability to overcome the barrier of drug resistance.
30. Synthesis and antiproliferative activity in vitro of (4-substituted-2-butynylthio)quinolines
31. New calcipotriol analogs, their toxicity and antitumor activity in vivo in comparison to the affinity with VDR and DBP
32. Synthesis and cytostatic activity of new 1-substituted 6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole derivatives
33. The new analogs of genistein decrease mitochondrial membrane potential and activate caspase-3
34. New amino acid derivatives of 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolines
35. Influence of Transformation of the Amino Group in Anthracyclines into -N=CH-N< or -N=CH-O- Group on Their Biological Properties
36. PRIMARY CYTOTOXICITY EVALUATION OF NEW HETEROCYCLIC SYSTEMS WITH PYRIDODIAZEPINE.
37. SYNTHESIS AND ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY IN VITRO OF NEW 2-AMINOBENZIMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES. PART 3. REACTIONS OF 2-ARYLIDENE- AMINOBENZIMIDAZOLE WITH SELECTED 1,3-DIKETONES.
38. CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACIDS PREPARATIONS AS EFFECTIVE NUTRACEUTICS
39. THE ANTIMETASTATIC EFFECT OF BACTERIOPHAGE T4* ADMINISTRATED IN COMBINED TREATMENT WITH SELECTED CYTOSTATICS IN MICE WITH B16 MELANOMA
40. SYNTHESIS AND ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY OF DIACETYLENIC THIOQUINOLINES
41. SYNTHESIS AND CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY OF 10-DEACETYL-10-PROPARGILPACLITAXEL
42. THE CYTOTOXIC GLYCOSIDES OF INDOLO[2,3-B]QUINOLINE DERIVATIVES. IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES
43. MONO SUBSTITUTED 5H-INDOLO[2,3-B]- QUINOLINE DERIVATIVES AND THEIR ABILITY TO OVERCOME THE BARRIER OF DRUG RESISTANCE.
44. DISUBSTITUTED INDOLO[2,3-b]QUINOLINE DERIVATIVES. THE CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY IN VITRO AGAINST VARIOUS HUMAN TUMOR CELL LINE.
45. ANTITUMOR EFFECT OF CISPLATIN OR FLUOROURACIL IN COMBINED TREATMENT WITH (24R)-1,24-DIHYDROXYVITA- MIN D₃
46. FIRST ROUND STUDIES ON LEWIS LUNG CARCINOMA ACTIVITY OF THE NEW LEAD STRUCTURES IN THE ISOXAZOLE HETEROCYCLIC SYSTEM
47. GENISTEIN, ITS NEW ANALOGS AND COMPLEXES - THE ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECTS ON HL-60 LEUKEMIA CELL LINE
48. COMBINATION OF: IMATINIB, PRI-2191 AND CYTOSTATICS - THE ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECTS ON HL-60 LEUKEMIA CELL LINE
49. ANTIPROLIFERATIVE ACTIVITY IN VITRO OF DIASTEREOMERIC ANALOGUES OF VITAMIN D3 AGAINST NORMAL AND CANCER CELL LINES