Hybrid and Chimeric Heterocycles for the Inhibition of Carbonic Anhydrases.

Abstract

The design of multitarget drugs is a growing strategy to address complex and multifactorial diseases, and heterocycles play a major role in this approach. This review aims to critically analyze the role of heterocyclic scaffolds in the development of human carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (hCAIs), emphasizing their versatility as core chemotypes, linkers, and secondary pharmacophores. By examining advances from the last 10 years, we highlight how heterocycle-based designs contribute to modulating potency and selectivity toward hCAs, as well as to the creation of hybrid molecules with enhanced therapeutic profiles. Understanding these strategies is essential for guiding future drug discovery efforts targeting hCAs and related pathologies.