KPU-105 (4), a potent anti-microtubule agent that contains a benzophenone was derived from the diketopiperazine-type vascular disrupting agent (VDA) plinabulin 3, which displays colchicine-like tubulin depolymerization activity. To develop derivatives with more potent anti- microtubule and cytotoxic activities, we further modified the benzophenone moiety of 4. Accordingly, we obtained a 4-fluorobenzophenone derivative 16j that inhibited tumor cell ...