Tricyclic compounds having cytostatic and/or cytotoxic activity and methods of use thereof

A compound of formula II:

• wherein both B and C rings may be completely or partially saturated or unsaturated with respect to bond 4b-8a, 5-6 and 7-8;
• the C ring may have an N or substituted N depending on the saturation level of the C ring, and the substitution may be all of R1, R2 and R3;
• X and/or Y=N, NH, O, S, CH2;
• P=(a) NR4, except that when P=NH and X is NH then R1 is not a phenyl moiety or a phenyl moiety having a halogen substitution, (b) O, except that when P=O and X is NH then R1 is not a phenyl moiety or a phenyl moiety having a halogen substitution, (c) S, except when P=S and X is NH then R1 is not a phenyl moiety or a phenyl moiety having a halogen substitution, or (d) CR4R5 when the C ring has an N or a substituted N depending on the saturation level of the C ring and the substitution may be all of R1, R2, and R3;
• wherein R4 and R5=lower alkyl, alkene, alkyne, and all of R1 and R2;
• R1 and/or R2=H, alkyl, a cycloalkyl having 6 or less carbons, alkene, alkyne, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl, substituted alkylaryl or alkylheteroaryl;
• Z=S, O, NR6, S—CH2, CH2—S, O—CHR6, CHR6—O, NR6—CH2, CH2—NR6, CHR6—NR7 or CR6R7, wherein R6 and/or R7=H or a lower alkyl, alkene or alkyne having 6 or less C atoms;
• wherein Z may be attached to the C ring at positions 5, 6, 7 or 8 and may be attached to more than one of said positions 5, 6, 7, or 8 on the ring wherein Z may be the same or different;
• wherein Z may be zero and R3 may be directly attached to the C-ring at positions 5, 6, 7, and/or 8;
• wherein when the C-ring is saturated or partially saturated the substituted Z or R3 creates chirality when P=C and R6 and R7 are different, then all stereoisomers thereof both separately and as racemic and/or diastereoisomeric mixtures are included;
• R3=H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkylheteroaryl and substituted saturated or unsaturated alkylheteroaryl and alkylheterocyclic, alkylaryl, p-, m-, o-benzoyl-L-glutamate or 2,5-, 2,4-thienoyl-L-glutamate when the benzene and thiophene ring may or may not have additional substitutions including F, mono-, bi- and tricyclic aryl, heteroaryl or combinations thereof, ring substitutions including biphenyl, bipyridyl or a phenyl-pyridyl or a fused moiety including a quinoline or naphthyl including substituted systems including a 2-chloro,4-biphenyl and tricyclic and substituted tricyclic systems.