Recent Advances in Benzimidazole-Triazole Hybrids for Single- and Multi-Target Protein Kinase Inhibition

Protein kinases play a crucial role in cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance by regulating signalling pathways involved in tumour growth and survival. Consequently, they represent major targets in anticancer drug discovery. Among heterocyclic scaffolds explored in kinase inhibitor design, benzimidazole has emerged as a privileged structure due to its strong hydrogen-bonding capability and structural resemblance to purine moieties. Triazole motifs are also widely incorporated into bioactive molecules because of their metabolic stability, favourable electronic properties, and ability to establish key interactions within kinase active sites. This review aims to summarise and critically discuss benzimidazole- and triazole-based kinase inhibitors, both as individual scaffolds and as hybrid systems, with emphasis on their kinase targets and multitarget potential.

The relevant literature was surveyed from major scientific databases focusing on studies describing the synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular modelling of benzimidazole- and triazole-containing kinase inhibitors.

Numerous studies demonstrate that both benzimidazole and triazole scaffolds exhibit significant kinase inhibitory activity against oncogenic targets, including EGFR, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and components of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway. Hybrid molecules combining these pharmacophores frequently enhance binding interactions and facilitate the development of multitarget kinase inhibitors. Structure-activity relationship trends indicate that pharmacophore accessibility, substitution patterns, and linker architecture influence inhibitory potency and selectivity.

Overall, benzimidazole- and triazole-based scaffolds represent promising platforms for developing next-generation multitarget anticancer agents and provide valuable insights for the rational design of improved kinase inhibitors.