Inhibitors of NF-κB derived from thalidomide

A series of compounds originally derived from thalidomide were synthesized and evaluated. The most potent compounds in this series, 5HPP-33 and compound 20, inhibited NF-κB activation in HeLa cells. Preliminary study indicated that the mechanism of inhibition of NF-κB activation is through inhibition of its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus.