Phospholipid ether analogs as cancer-targeting drug vehicles

A method of treating cancer comprising administering an effective amount of a therapeutic compound having a formula A-B-D to a subject with cancer,

• wherein
• A is at least one compound of formula (I),
• at least one compound of formula (II),
• at least one compound of formula (III)
• or a combination thereof,
• wherein W is selected from the group consisting of an aryl, a C1-C6 alkyl, an alkenyl, an optionally substituted C3-C6 cycloalkyl, an optionally substituted C3-C6 heterocycloalkyl,
• wherein R is H or an alkyl and wherein m is an integer from 12 to 24;
• B is a linker compound selected from a bond and a compound of formula (IV),
• Y—(CH2)n—Z (IV),
• wherein:
• Y is bound to A;
• Z is bound to D;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of a bond, O, NH, C═O, NHSO2O, and OC(═O)O;
• Z is selected from the group consisting of O, NH, C═O, C(═O)O, C(═O)NH, SO2, OC(═O)OCH2, and —S—S—;
• and
• n is an integer from 0 to 6;
• and
• D is an anti-cancer drug selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, irinotecan, topotecan, gemcitabine, cisplatin, geldanamycin, and mertansine;
• and
• wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of adrenal cancer, glioblastoma, melanoma, multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, sarcoma, uterine cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, cervical-HPV cancer, esophageal cancer, neuroblastoma, head and neck cancer, and a combination thereof.