{"title":"Therapeutic potential of spirocyclopropyl oxindoles: latest developments in drug discovery.","authors":"Sowmya Dastari, Nagula Shankaraiah","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2676782","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2676782","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the recent past, spirooxindoles have been evolved as captivating structural architectures for the medicinal chemists, owing to their diverse biological activities. In particular, the development of spirocyclopropyl oxindole heterocycles has gained enormous attention as anti-HIV, anti-cancer and anti-viral agents. The incorporation of a cyclopropyl moiety within the oxindole framework has emerged as a powerful tool in modulating physicochemical and biological properties. This review delineates the medicinal chemistry landscape with a comprehensive overview of recent advances, developments in the design and synthesis of spirocyclopropyl oxindole derivatives and summarizes their biological activities across diverse therapeutic areas. Key insights into the mechanism of action were discoursed. In detail, structure-activity relationships (SARs) have been emphasized on how cyclopropyl incorporation modulates the physicochemical and pharmacological profile relative to conventional oxindole analogues in few cases. An emphasis was placed highlighting the interaction of spirocyclopropyl oxindole derivatives with diverse molecular targets. In addition, current challenges, knowledge gaps, and emerging opportunities for further optimization are discussed, positioning these strained ring systems as a promising and evolving chemical space in the modern medicinal chemistry. Future efforts prioritizing this under explored scaffold would unlock new avenues in the development of novel therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1753-1767"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557587/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148028906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Omer Habis Alzoubi, Almu'atasim Khamees, Mohammad Basil Alzu'bi, Sarah Feras Freihat, Aya Attar, Hanan Abo Sameed, Rawan Alzubi, Amen Ahed Alsamarah, Raghad Yousef Yassin, Khayry Al-Shami, Bahaa Al-Trad, Raed M Al-Zoubi, Mazhar Salim Al Zoubi
{"title":"Urease inhibitors: current advances, therapeutic potentials, and clinical challenges.","authors":"Omer Habis Alzoubi, Almu'atasim Khamees, Mohammad Basil Alzu'bi, Sarah Feras Freihat, Aya Attar, Hanan Abo Sameed, Rawan Alzubi, Amen Ahed Alsamarah, Raghad Yousef Yassin, Khayry Al-Shami, Bahaa Al-Trad, Raed M Al-Zoubi, Mazhar Salim Al Zoubi","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2684497","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2684497","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Urease is a nickel-dependent metalloenzyme that catalyzes urea hydrolysis, generating ammonia and elevating local pH, a process implicated in the pathogenesis of <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>-associated peptic ulcer disease (PUD). To identify effective urease inhibitors, acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) remains the only FDA-approved agent, with clinical use constrained by toxicity. This review synthesizes current evidence on urease inhibition strategies, encompassing metal-based complexes, organic derivatives, natural products, peptide inhibitors, nanotechnology-enabled systems, and emerging gene-based approaches. Several candidates, including copper-based compounds and the natural alkaloid palmatine (PAL), demonstrate potent urease inhibition and favorable effects in preclinical models. However, translation to clinical practice is limited by safety concerns, instability, and a paucity of human trials. Advancing hybrid molecules, optimized delivery platforms, and combination therapies may enhance therapeutic efficacy. Rigorous clinical evaluation remains essential to establish urease inhibition as a viable strategy in urease-mediated diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1907-1923"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557569/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148250326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Antiviral nucleoside mimics: the development and future perspective of Molnupiravir.","authors":"Ahmed Khalil","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2684621","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2684621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the oral prodrug molnupiravir, the β-D-N4-hydroxycytidine precursor, for emergency use as an antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2. Molnupiravir (MK-4482, EIDD-2801) was originally developed at Emory University, where its design leveraged the bioisosteric replacement of the carbonyl group in the pyrimidine base of endogenous uridine with an oxime (NHOH) functionality. This modification enabled effective mimicking of natural nucleosides and enhanced antiviral activity by targeting the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). In this review, the collective advancements in the synthesis of molnupiravir aimed at achieving scalable, cost-effective, and efficient manufacturing are discussed, along with an exploration of oxime bioisosterism within medicinal chemistry.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1895-1906"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557556/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148198249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent advances in the development of EGFR/Src, Src/Abl, EGFR/VEGFR2, EGFR/c-Met, STAT-3/c-Src, VGERF/FAK and EGFR/HER dual-targeted kinase inhibitors.","authors":"Eman Bobtaina, Sureyya Olgen","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2679002","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2679002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Although several therapies have been applied for cancer treatment and mutations, drug resistance remains a significant impediment to the efficient use of single-therapy. Multi-targeting therapies are designed to combat these problems by using two different methodologies: either combining medications to create a synergistic effect on different targets or designing and producing multiple-targeting medicines that efficiently block the many carcinogenic pathways synergistically.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>From the literature, the information on classical and high-impact dual tyrosine kinase inhibitors derived based on their design concepts, chemical classes, and therapeutic effects is summarized. Various chemical scaffolds have dual-targeting activities to overcome drug resistance driven by genetic mutations and their structure-activity relationship studies are shown.</p><p><strong>Advantages, disadvantages, and future perspectives: </strong>The latest investigations have shown that dual-acting drugs can simultaneously suppress critical cancer cell features, and provide the synergistic effect through inhibition of two or more proteins, improving safety profile, and enhancing pharmacokinetic properties of compounds. Recent clinical investigations emphasize the synergistic potential of combining Src and EGFR inhibitors. However, novel dual inhibitors may have a resistance problem due to unknown mutations, and heterodimerization. Despite these disadvantages, the coherent results on dual kinase inhibitors indicate that there are still chances to obtain promising therapeutic approaches.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1731-1751"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13557566/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148224497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jianhui Wu, Xiaoyi Zhang, Wenshuo An, Yifan Yang, Peiwen Zhang, Yaonan Wang, Shurui Zhao, Qiqi Feng, Ming Zhao, Shiqi Peng
{"title":"Cyclization, amino acid coupling, docking-based virtual screening and SAR: showing a strategy of the structural modification for salvianic acid A.","authors":"Jianhui Wu, Xiaoyi Zhang, Wenshuo An, Yifan Yang, Peiwen Zhang, Yaonan Wang, Shurui Zhao, Qiqi Feng, Ming Zhao, Shiqi Peng","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658836","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658836","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Providing diverse modification remains to be a strategy for salvianic acid A.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Based on the docking virtual screening, salvianic acid A was cyclized, then modified with amino acid to provide 19 derivatives (<b>6a-s</b>), and evaluated their effects on platelet aggregation, thrombus formation, and determine serum levels of P-selectin and GPIIb/IIIa in male SD rats.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The <i>in vitro</i> evaluation showed that 6a-s effectively against platelet-activating factor (PAF) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) induced platelet aggregation. The <i>in vivo</i> anti-arterial thrombosis assay showed that 30 nmol/kg of <b>6a-s</b> significantly decreased thrombus weights of rats, (3R)-6,7-dihydroxy-1,1- dimethylisochromane-3-carboxyl-Lys (<b>6h</b>) possessed the strongest anti-arterial thrombotic activity. The <i>in vivo</i> thrombolytic assay showed that the activities of 30 nmol/kg of <b>6a-s</b> were significantly higher than that of saline solution (NS), <b>6h</b> had the strongest activity. The ELISA assay showed that <b>6a-s</b> effectively decreased the serum P-selectin and GPIIb/IIIa level.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong><b>6a-s</b> can effectively inhibited PAF and ADP induced platelet aggregation <i>in vitro</i>, at 30 nmol/kg dose they significantly decreased the weight of thrombus and significantly increased the potential of dissolve the clots. Specially, <b>6h</b> was particularly superior and could be a promising candidate for the afterward development. Additionally, the benefits of the 19 derivatives were associated with the serum level of P-selectin and GPIIb/IIIa.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1391-1403"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13228955/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147767740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Novel (+)-usnic acid derivatives, computational studies and biological evaluation as neuroprotective agents.","authors":"Gautam Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Tanish, Shashi Bala Singh","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2675872","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2675872","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study involves the semi-synthetic modification of (+)-usnic acid and the evaluation of the synthesized compounds for neuroprotective effects in scopolamine-injured C6 glial cells.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Usnic acid derivatives were synthesized and characterized using <sup>1</sup>H and <sup>13</sup>C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Furthermore, compounds were evaluated for their neuroprotective effects using several biochemical assays, including acetylcholinesterase, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide (NO), reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and GSH/GSSG, reactive oxygen species (ROS), NFkB-p65, proinflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). <i>In silico</i> studies were conducted to predict drug-likeness and binding sites for these molecules.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>(+)-Usnic acid, compounds 6, 13, and 16 showed antioxidative effects by decreasing ROS, malondialdehyde, and NO production in scopolamine-injured C6 glial cells. Additionally, these compounds enhanced the antioxidant effects by restoring the GSH/GSSG ratio and improving mitochondrial function by restoring the MMP in scopolamine-injured C6 glial cells. Moreover, these compounds exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by reducing IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion and NFkB activity in C6 glial cells. <i>In silico</i> studies confirmed that these compounds decreased NO production by binding to neuronal nitric oxide synthase.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Usnic acid and its derivatives, 6, 13, and 16, increased the survival of scopolamine-injured C6 glial cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1495-1515"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13245065/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148014112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synergistic action of JNK activation and BChE inhibition: a novel anti- glioblastoma compound with neuroprotective profile.","authors":"Ziyao Lu, Qinghong Liao, Yuetong Duan, Kaixuan Wang, Siyu He, Weiping Lyu, Xuehong Chen, Qi Li","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658833","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658833","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to investigate whether butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitor <b>QY-54</b> can be used to treat glioblastoma (GBM) and exert a neuroprotective profile.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>At the cellular level, the effects of <b>QY-54</b> on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of GBM cells from different species were investigated. At the animal level, the safety of <b>QY-54</b> in normal mice, its anti-tumor effects in GBM mice, and its effects on cognition protective function were examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At the cellular level, <b>QY-54</b> exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GBM cells derived from different species. At the animal level, <b>QY-54</b> showed low toxicity in normal mice. Moreover, it significantly inhibited GBM tumor growth, promoted tumor cell apoptosis, suppressed neuroinflammation, protected neurons, and improved the general condition and cognitive function of GBM mice. In Western blot experiments, <b>QY-54</b> upregulated c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) levels to exert an inhibitory effect on glioma.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong><b>QY-54</b> exhibits dual effects of anti-glioblastoma and cognitive improvement, by inhibiting BChE and activating the JNK signaling pathway. <b>QY-54</b> is a highly promising drug for the treatment of glioblastoma with neuroprotective profile.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1377-1389"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13228976/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147689307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Farid M Sroor, May A El-Manawaty, Wagdy K B Khalil, Mohamed B Shalaby, Khaled Mahmoud
{"title":"Synthesis of 2, 4-disubstituted-1<i>H</i>-benzo[<i>b</i>][1,4]diazepine derivatives as promising anticancer agents.","authors":"Farid M Sroor, May A El-Manawaty, Wagdy K B Khalil, Mohamed B Shalaby, Khaled Mahmoud","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2669611","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2669611","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>A novel series of 1<i>H</i>-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine derivatives bearing different substitutions at positions 2 and 4 was designed, synthesized, and tested as anticancer agents.</p><p><strong>Martials and methods: </strong>The reaction of chalcone derivatives 5a-h with o-phenylenediamine (OPDA) in ethanol and the presence of acetic acid as a catalyst afforded the targeted 1<i>H</i>-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine derivatives (6a-h). The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed via spectral data and elemental analyses. These compounds were tested as <i>in vitro</i> anti-cancer agents against MCF7, PC3 cancer cells and BJ normal cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compound 6h showed the best efficacy with IC50 of 29.1 and 50.7 µM on MCF7 and PC3, respectively, compared to the reference drug with IC50 of 32.36 and 47.96 µM, respectively. 6h was tested on the BJ to investigate its selectivity on the tested cancer cells, and the selectivity index of 6h was 2.25 and 1.30 on MCF7 and PC3, respectively. It is important to note that compound 6h has strong selectivity, especially on MCF7, and moderate selectivity on PC3, both being more than that found in the reference drug. Moreover, 6h was investigated for further studies to explore its mechanism of action using DNA fragmentation, DNA damage, and gene expression techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1547-1557"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13245063/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147856046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The antineoplastic and therapeutic effects of quinoline compounds against ehrlich ascites carcinoma in mice.","authors":"Rasha Fekry Zahran, Ghada Mohamed Rady, Adel Zaki El-Sonbati","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658436","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2658436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>One of the preferred scaffolds, 8-hydroxyquinoline, has been investigated synthetically by functioning at various places by several groups in pursuit of medicinally significant compounds. This research's objective is to investigate the antineoplastic and therapeutic effects of 8-hydroxy-7-carboxaldehydequinoline against (EAC) cells.</p><p><strong>Methods & results: </strong>One hundred mice were detached equally into five groups [(G1) negative control; (G2) 1% DMSO; (G3) Drug group; (G4) EAC group; (G5) EAC+ tested compound]. Docking study was performed, and the antitumor effect of the compound was evaluated by hematological, biochemical, antioxidant, histopathological parameters, and levels of caspase-3 and TNF-α. The docking study showed effective interaction between tested compounds and receptors of catalase, breast cancer, and caspase3. In vivo, treatment significantly restored hematological parameters, reduced liver enzymes, lipid profiles, cardiac biomarkers, urea, creatinine, malonaldehyde, and nitric oxide, while increasing total protein, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity levels. Our findings showed that treatment with tested compound demonstrated apoptotic effect via rising in caspase3 and declining in TNF-α levels. Histopathological examination backed with our findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>With an effective safety profile, 8-hydroxy-7-carboxaldehydequinoline exhibits potential antineoplastic efficacy against EAC through apoptotic and antioxidant mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1331-1345"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13228958/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147689312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}