The current landscape of 1,2,3-triazole-(fused) six-membered nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring hybrids with anticancer therapeutic potential

Abstract

Cancer, characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells potentially influencing almost all tissues in the body, is one of the most devastating and lethal diseases throughout the world. Chemotherapy is one of the principal approaches for cancer treatment, but multidrug resistance and severe side effects represent the main barriers to the success of therapy, creating a vital need to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents. The 1,2,3-triazole moiety can be conveniently constructed by “click chemistry” and could exert diverse noncovalent interactions with various enzymes in cancer cells. Hence, 1,2,3-triazole is one of the most fascinating anticancer pharmacophores. Moreover, 1,2,3-triazole could also serve as a powerful ligation tool for the complex molecular architectures to increase the anticancer efficacy of lead molecules. Notably, 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with intriguing structural variations could target different biological components in cancer cells simultaneously, highlighting their potential in the treatment and eradication of cancer. This review outlines the current landscape of 1,2,3-triazole-(fused) six-membered nitrogen-containing heteroaromatic ring hybrids, inclusive of 1,2,3-triazole-quinazolines, 1,2,3-triazole-quinazolinones, 1,2,3-triazole-quinolines, 1,2,3-triazole-quinolones, 1,2,3-triazole-pyridines, and 1,2,3-triazole-pyrimidines, with anticancer therapeutic potential, and explores their mechanisms of action, critical aspects of design as well as structure–activity relationships (SARs), covering articles published from 2021 to the present, to pave the way for the development of innovative and efficient therapeutic interventions for cancer therapy.