An Overview of Acridine Analogs: Pharmacological Significance and Recent Developments

The clinical effectiveness of the available anticancer drugs has been reduced due to the development of drug resistance and serious adverse effects, which have restricted chemotherapy for cancer. Therefore, there is a persistent need for new anticancer medications with reduced side effects. Medical researchers are pursuing various methods to find new, potent, specifically targeted molecules for cancer treatment. Through various techniques, numerous molecules are discovered. However, among them, acridine stands out as a promising heterocycle that has captured the interest of medicinal chemists and acquired significant pharmacological value. The synthetic adaptability of acridine has enabled the creation of numerous derivatives with a wide range of architectural properties, further accelerating this broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Recent studies have looked at the mechanisms by which acridine and its analogs inhibit tyrosine kinases, topoisomerases, telomerase, and DNA repair interaction. We have compiled our knowledge of acridine compounds for their anticancer activities, mechanisms of action, structure-activity relationship (SAR), and selective, specific activity against different cancer drug targets, as well as in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities of acridine and its analogs from the perspective of cancer drug discovery, in this review.