Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry最新文献

This review delves into the potential of nanotechnology for improved lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. A critical focus is placed on various overexpressed biomarkers within lung tumors. These biomarkers serve as potential targets for nanoparticle-based drug delivery strategies. The review explores two main targeting approaches: passive and active (receptor-based) targeting. Active targeting mechanisms like EGFR, folic acid, and CD44 receptor targeting are specifically discussed. Additionally, the review examines stimuli-responsive systems for targeted drug delivery, including pH, temperature, ligand-attached, and multi-stimuli-responsive systems. Moreover, the role of nanotechnology in theranostics, which combines therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities, is explored and different types of nanocarriers, including lipid-based, polymer-based, metal-based, and magnetic nanoparticles, are examined for their potential applications. The review also highlights advancements in lung cancer diagnostic techniques beyond nanotechnology. This includes emerging tools like biomarkers, biosensors, and artificial intelligence, alongside improvements to established methods. Finally, the review provides a glimpse into ongoing clinical trials and concludes by emphasizing the transformative potential of nanotechnology in improving lung cancer patient outcomes.

Schiff bases are an important scaffold for designing drug development. They are characterized by having a carbon-nitrogen double bond. This double bond is synthesized by different synthetic schemes by both the aromatic and aliphatic chains. Bases inspired chemists due to their versatile importance in drug discovery and drug development. A large number of drugs are designed through the heterocyclic Schiff base moieties. This review highlighted the importance of Schiff bases concerning their bioactive importance in drug design. Moreover, amide-iminol tautomerism is a significant tool for the high biological importance of Schiff bases due to the presence of the C=N bond. Furthermore, the reported synthesized heterocyclic scaffolds Schiff bases have a wide range of biological importance. Due to this different biological importance, such as antimicrobial, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antioxidant, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antileishmanial properties, the researcher has shown their interest by synthesizing different heterocyclic Schiff bases. In this review article, biologically active heterocyclic Schiff bases were reviewed intensively concerning drug design and drug development.

Sleep disorders and the resultant sleep deprivation (SD) are very common nowadays, resulting in depressed mood, poor memory and concentration, and various important changes in health, performance and safety. They may provoke further impairment of the cell lining of the blood vessels, as acting as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) onset and progression. SD may lead to low neuronal regaining and plasticity, drastically affecting brain function. Thus, SD is a known risk factor for mental, behavioral and developmental disorders. Due to the inflammatory and oxidative stressful nature of SD, immune response modulation and antioxidants could be another therapeutic approach, apart from the already known symptomatic treatment with sedatives. Additionally, many drugs approved for other indications and under investigation, have been revisited due to their wide array of pharmacological activities. This review summarizes the main aspects of SD pathology and SD interrelated comorbidities and presents direct and indirect antioxidant molecules and drugs with multi-targeting potential that could assist in the prevention or management of these factors. A number of research groups have investigated well-known antioxidant compounds with multi-targeting cores, combining structural characteristics with properties including antiinflammatory, metal chelatory, gene transcription and immune modulatory that may add towards the effective SD and its associated comorbidities treatment.

The broad-spectrum action and capacity to target drug-resistant infections make synthetic Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) popular therapeutic agents. Indeed, the effective use of these peptides in clinical application relies on a thorough understanding of their Pharmacokinetic (PK) and ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) characteristics. Despite growing research on synthetic AMPs, there is a notable gap in the literature specifically addressing their ADMET profiles. Previous reviews have not extensively covered this area, providing a vital opportunity to study synthetic AMPs' pharmacokinetics and safety, which are crucial for their therapeutic development. This review covered research studies that focused on PK and ADMET of synthetic antimicrobial peptides from several databases, including Google Scholar, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Science Direct, within the years 2020 to 2024, and 12 related research papers have been found. AMPs display a wide range of PK behaviors, including rapid renal clearance, liver-centric distribution, broad distribution with low toxicity, high kidney retention, and gradual absorption with dose-dependent toxicity. Overall, the ADMET profiles of AMPs are crucial in assessing their therapeutic potential, and continuous study is necessary to enhance their practical feasibility. An in-depth investigation of the in vivo ADMET and pharmacokinetic profiles of synthetic AMPs is presented in this review to address the current gap in the research. The findings of this study provide important insights for developing synthetic AMPs as effective antimicrobial drugs.

Background and aims: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an important complication of diabetes, leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) worldwide. This review aimed to explore the role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in DN, highlighting current treatments and emerging therapeutic perspectives.

Methods: We conducted a narrative review of the literature up to March 2024, focusing on the classical and alternative RAS axes, their implications in DN, and novel therapeutic approaches. Data were sourced from Scopus, PubMed, Scielo, and Cochrane databases.

Results: The classical RAS axis, involving angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), Angiotensin II (Ang II), and the AT1 receptor, promotes vasoconstriction, sodium retention, and fibrosis in DN. Hyperglycemia-induced Ang II increases oxidative stress, contributing to glomerular hyperfiltration and kidney damage. Current treatments include ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), which reduce blood pressure and proteinuria, delaying DN progression. In contrast, the alternative RAS axis, featuring ACE2, Ang-(1-7), and the Mas receptor, offers renoprotective effects by counteracting Ang II actions. Ang-(1-7) reduces inflammation, fibrosis, and podocyte apoptosis. ACE2 activators, Ang-(1-7), and Mas receptor agonists show promise in preclinical studies, reducing glomerular fibrosis and improving renal function. Ang-(1-9) and alamandine may also hold potential in future treatments. Emerging therapies, such as the SGLT2 inhibitors, also demonstrate benefits in reducing DN progression.

Conclusion: While ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and SGLT2 inhibitors remain central to DN management, the ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis presents a promising therapeutic target. Future research should focus on translating preclinical findings into clinical applications, potentially improving DN treatment.

Luminescent Lanthanide (III) (Ln(III)) bioprobes (LLBs) have been extensively used in the last two decades as intracellular molecular probes in bio-imaging for the efficient revelation of analytes, to signal intracellular events (enzymes/protein activity, antigen-antibody interaction), target specific organelles, and determine parameters of particular biophysical interest, to gain important insights on pathologies or diseases. The choice of using a luminescent Ln(III) coordination compound with respect to a common organic fluorophore is intimately connected to how their photophysical sensitization (antenna effect) can be finely tuned and especially triggered to respond (even quantitatively) to a certain biophysical event, condition or analyte. While there are other reviews focused on how to design chromophoric ligands for an efficient sensitization of Ln(III) ions, both in the visible and NIR region, this review is application-driven: it is a small collection of particularly interesting examples where the LLB's emissive information is acquired by imaging the emission intensity and/or the fluorescence lifetime (fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, FLIM).

Most natural products in nature have broad but not exceedingly good biological activities. The pyrazole structure has been introduced into natural products due to its suitability for various synthetic methods and its broad pharmacological activities. This article provides a detailed introduction to the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-Alzheimer disease activities of pyrazole-modified natural product derivatives, particularly their anti-tumor activity. It is worth noting that compared to lead compounds, most natural product derivatives modified with pyrazole exhibit excellent pharmacological activity. Some of these derivatives exhibit outstanding anti-tumor activity, with IC50 values reaching nanomolar levels. This review provides more research directions and choices for future studies on natural products.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. Distinct and unusual metabolic aberrations occur during tumor development that lead to the growth and development of tumors. Oncogenic signaling pathways eventually converge to regulate three major metabolic pathways in tumor cells i.e., glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. Therefore, identifying and targeting the metabolic nodes of cancer cells can be a promising intervention and therapeutic strategy for patients with malignancies. The long road of new drug discovery for cancer therapy has necessitated relooking alternative strategies such as drug repurposing. Advanced genomic and proteomic technologies for the assessment of cancer-specific biological pathways have led to the discovery of new drug targets, which provide excellent opportunities for drug repurposing. The development of effective, safe, cheaper, and readily available anticancer agents is the need of the hour, and drug repurposing has the potential to break the current drug shortage bottleneck. This review will accordingly cover various metabolic pathways that are aberrant in cancer, and strategies for targeting metabolic reprogramming by using repurposed drugs.

Sustainable chemistry and nature-friendly protocols are not only luxury but has become essential requirement for the modern society as it progresses towards a more responsible future. To match the current needs of the community, industries and in particular chemical industry is looking for novel and cheap strategies that have less adverse effects on the environment. Heterocyclic compounds are one particular motif, which is prevalent in nature. It is found in a wide range of synthetic and natural compounds, both established and in development as potent therapeutic candidates. According to the US retail market in 2014-2015, heterocyclic moieties constitute the basic skeletons for 80% of marketed pharmaceuticals. However, majority of the synthetic methodologies still uses classical approaches with toxic solvents, stoichiometric reagents, reactions with less atom economy etc. Thus, there is an urgent need for green, sustainable alternatives of the classical reactions. In recent years, an array of diverse approaches and technologies have been discovered by the scientific community to address the issue of eco-friendly manufacture of various pharmaceutically and medicinally important heterocyclic molecules. In this context, the current review will summarize various reported green pathways to the heterocyclic architecture, particularly O, N, and S-heterocyclic compounds. The methods highlighted in this article includes reaction in environment friendly nonconventional media, solvent-free approaches, heterogeneous catalysis, organocatalysis, electrochemical reactions, microwave-mediated reactions, ultrasound-based reactions, enzymatic reactions, biocatalysis, and others.

Topical application of ophthalmic drugs remains to be the preferred delivery method. Eye drops lead the pharmaceutical forms due to ease of application. Despite the poor bioavailability of drugs administered topically, especially related to the dilution and excretion by tear fluid, the absence of controlled drug delivery, and the poor compliance within pediatric and senior populations, eye drops and ointments are still the first choices in eye--related disorders management. Only a few studies have explored the eyelid skin as a site for drug application and transdermal delivery as an alternative route of administration of ophthalmic drugs. Such works have validated the delivery of drugs into the ocular tissues through the eyelid barrier. The eyelid represents a differentiated skin barrier concerning the thickness, the structure of the stratum corneum, the vasculature, and the amount of lipids. This work intends to question why the eyelid, being an accessible, non-invasive, comfortable route of administration is not considered a feasible route for ophthalmic drugs. The eyelid structure is presented, and the anatomical and physiological distinctive characteristics are presented. The work also presents the research work on topical drug application to the eyelid skin that has been published so far.