Several hydroxamic acid derivatives with a substituted phthalimide group as a linker and/or cap structure, prepared during structural development studies based on thalidomide, were found to have histone deacetylase (HDAC)-inhibitory activity. Structure–activity relationship studies indicated that nature of the substituent introduced at the phthalimide nitrogen atom, introduction of a hydroxamic acid structure, and distance between the N-hydroxyl group ...
[Pearce, Alan J.; Walter, Daryl S.; Frampton, Christopher S.; Gallagher, Timothy Journal of the Chemical Society - Perkin Transactions 1, 1998 , # 5 p. 847 - 852]