Myeloid differentiation inducing agents

A method of treating acute myeloid leukemia in a subject, the method comprising:

• administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of at least one securinine analogue, wherein the securinine analogue has the following formula:
• wherein α is a single or double bond;
• R5 and R6 are the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C1-C24 alkyl, C2-C24 alkenyl, C2-C24 alkynyl, C3-C20 aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkenyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms (wherein from 1-3 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C1-C6 alkyl), NC(O)(C1-C6 alkyl), O, and S), C6-C24 alkaryl, C6-C24 aralkyl, halo, —Si(C1-C3 alkyl)3, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C1-C24 alkoxy, C2-C24 alkenyloxy, C2-C24 alkynyloxy, C5-C20 aryloxy, acyl (including C2-C24 alkylcarbonyl (—CO-alkyl) and C6-C20 arylcarbonyl (—CO-aryl)), acyloxy (—O-acyl), C2-C24 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C6-C20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C2-C24 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C6-C20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO−), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH2), C1-C24 alkyl-carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C1-C24 alkyl)), arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), thiocarbamoyl (—(CS)—NH2), carbamido (—NH—(CO)—NH2), cyano(—CN), isocyano (—N+C−), cyanato (—O—CN), isocyanato (—O—N+═C−), isothiocyanato (—S—CN), azido (—N═N+═N−), formyl (—(CO)—H), thioformyl (—(CS)—H), amino (—NH2), C1-C24 alkyl amino, C5-C20 aryl amino, C2-C24 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)-alkyl), C6-C20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), imino (—CR═NH where R is hydrogen, C1-C24 alkyl, C5-C20 aryl, C6-C24 alkaryl and C6-C24 aralkyl), alkylimino (—CR═N(alkyl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, aralkyl), arylimino (—CR═N(aryl), where R=hydrogen, alkyl, aryl and alkaryl), nitro (—NO2), nitroso (—NO), sulfo (—SO2—OH), sulfonato (—SO2—O−), C1-C24 alkylsulfanyl (—S-alkyl), arylsulfanyl (—S-aryl), C1-C24 alkylsulfinyl (—(SO)-alkyl), C5-C20 arylsulfinyl (—(SO)-aryl), C1-C24 alkylsulfonyl (—SO2-alkyl), C5-C20 arylsulfonyl (—SO2-aryl), phosphono (—P(O)(OH)2), phosphonato (—P(O)(O−)2), phosphinato (—P(O)(O−)), phospho (—PO2), and phosphino (—PH2), wherein at least one of R5 or R6 is not hydrogen;
• and
• pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.