Thiophene-based derivatives as anticancer agents: An overview on decade's work

Area of Science:

• Medicinal Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Heterocyclic compounds are crucial in drug discovery, particularly for developing anticancer agents.
• Thiophene, a sulfur-containing heterocycle, is a well-explored scaffold for anticancer drug development.
• Thiophene analogs exhibit diverse biological activities by targeting cancer-specific proteins and signaling pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review thiophene-based molecules as anticancer agents.
• To focus on synthetic methodologies, biological profiles, and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies.
• To include granted patents for thiophene-containing anticancer compounds.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of scientific publications and patents.
• Analysis of synthetic routes for thiophene derivatives.
• Evaluation of biological data and SAR studies for anticancer activity.

Main Results:

• Thiophene analogs demonstrate significant anticancer potential through various mechanisms.
• Diverse substitution patterns on the thiophene ring influence target specificity and efficacy.
• Numerous thiophene derivatives have been patented for their anticancer properties.

Conclusions:

• Thiophene scaffolds are valuable in the development of novel anticancer therapeutics.
• Understanding SAR is key to designing potent and selective thiophene-based anticancer drugs.
• Further research into thiophene derivatives holds promise for future cancer treatments.