{"title":"Synthesis, <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in silico</i> studies of novel N-benzoyl EF24 analogs as potential anticancer agents.","authors":"Fatemeh Khademi Moughari, Ramin Ebrahimi Kiasari, Ghazaleh Ghavami, Soroush Sardari, Asghar Davood","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726189","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726189","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>EF24, a synthetic curcumin derivative, is effective against different forms of cancers but its derivatives are underdeveloped, particularly to improve cytotoxicity and drug-receptor interactions in colorectal cancer.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>Nine N-benzoyl EF24 analogs were prepared and identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (<sup>1</sup>H NMR), and mass spectra. Cytotoxicity against the HT-29 cancer cell was screened by 3 (4,5 dimethylthiazol 2 yl) 2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay at 24 and 48 hours. Molecular docking on glyoxalase I compared binding interactions. Compounds 4, 5, 7, and 10 were significantly cytotoxic with compound 10 being more cytotoxic than EF24 and cisplatin. Compound 10 was found to have maximum binding affinity by docking with active-site residues.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion/commentary: </strong>The N-benzoyl EF24 analogs, especially compound 10, have shown encouraging cytotoxicity and favorable drug-receptor interaction, suggesting their clinical utility as agents against colorectal cancer. Pharmacokinetic and <i>in vivo</i> explorations are also needed to further advance the compounds for clinical application.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2843-2858"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652089/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149106943","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":"Computational drug design, synthesis, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and kinetic evaluation of novel benzothiazole-thiadiazole/oxadiazole derivatives.","authors":"Ramesh Ambatwar, Pooja Singh, Suman Ghosh, Lokesh Chandrakar, Ashok Kumar Datusalia, Gopal L Khatik","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2739927","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2739927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Developing novel benzothiazole-thiadiazole & oxadiazole hybrids as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Benzothiazole-thiadiazole (<b>10a-n</b>) and benzothiazole-oxadiazole (<b>11a-p</b>) hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for AChE inhibition. The drug-likeness, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and cytotoxicity were also performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compounds <b>10b</b>, <b>10d</b> and <b>10j</b> emerged as potent inhibitors, displaying IC<sub>50</sub> 0.05 µM, 0.12 µM and 0.14 µM, respectively. The IC<sub>50</sub> of compounds <b>11c</b>, <b>11f</b> and <b>11n</b> are 0.13 µM, 0.11 µM, and 0.09 µM, respectively, which are comparable to donepezil (IC<sub>50</sub> 0.03 µM). Further enzyme kinetic assays revealed a competitive inhibition mechanism. Drug-likeness, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation and cytotoxicity assays confirm the efficacy and safety profile.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Benzothiazole-thiadiazole & oxadiazole scaffolds are promising leads for the developing AChE inhibitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2859-2876"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149106940","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":"Coumarin derivatives combating antibacterial resistance: molecular modeling-driven insights and comprehensive SAR elucidation targeting DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV.","authors":"Aanchal Khanna, Karanvir Singh, Alok Raj, Harshavardhan Gupta, Nitish Kumar, Jyoti, Harmandeep Kaur, Rupali Rana, Priyanshu Mahajan, Arjun Khanna, Irvanpreet Kaur, Preet Mohinder Singh Bedi","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2732259","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2732259","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antimicrobial resistance continues to threaten the effectiveness of current antibacterial therapies, creating an urgent need for novel chemotypes that act through alternative mechanisms. Among these, coumarin derivatives have emerged as promising inhibitors of bacterial type II topoisomerases, particularly DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, owing to their structural versatility and ability to target the ATP-binding domain. This review critically summarizes advances reported in the past decade in the design and biological evaluation of coumarin-based antibacterial agents targeting these enzymes. Recent medicinal chemistry efforts demonstrate that rational structural modification, including heterocycle hybridization, linker optimization, scaffold rigidification and electronic tuning, markedly enhances enzyme inhibition, antibacterial potency and, in several cases, dual-target activity. Computational investigations consistently support experimental findings by identifying conserved binding interactions that explain the improved activity of optimized analogues. Overall, the collective evidence establishes coumarin as a highly adaptable scaffold for the development of next-generation antibacterial agents and highlights integrated structure-based design, dual-target inhibition, and comprehensive biological validation as key priorities for future medicinal chemistry research. Literature was collected from databases including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, covering studies published from 2016 to 2026.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2893-2916"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652073/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148944764","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 piperazine-pyridine conjugates as aldose reductase inhibitors: synthesis, DFT analysis, molecular docking, ADME evaluation, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and <i>in vitro</i> aldose reductase inhibitory activity.","authors":"Saurabh Kumar Gupta, Amit Verma, Rakhi Mishra","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2739924","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2739924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Piperazine-pyridine-conjugated analogs were synthesized and evaluated for aldose reductase inhibition for treating diabetes mellitus.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>All synthesized compounds were structurally characterized by spectral studies. In addition, in silico ADME and cardiotoxicity predictions, molecular docking studies against aldose reductase (4JIR), and density functional theory (DFT) analysis were performed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties, binding interactions, and electronic characteristics of the synthesized compounds. The compounds were subsequently evaluated for DPPH Scavenging and aldose reductase inhibitory activity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Molecular docking revealed good binding affinity toward aldose reductase, with compound 7k showing the highest docking score and favorable hydrogen-bond and π-alkyl interactions. DFT analysis of compounds 7k and 7c indicated stable optimized structures, with 7k showing greater energetic stability, whereas 7c exhibited higher polarity and chemical reactivity. Compounds 7c (IC<sub>50</sub> = 8.5 ± 0.49 µM), 7h (IC<sub>50</sub> = 9.2 ± 0.71 µM), and 7k (IC<sub>50</sub> = 8.8 ± 0.29 µM) showed lower IC<sub>50</sub> values than the reference drug Sorbinil (IC<sub>50</sub> = 10.5 ± 0.44 µM) under the experimental conditions. Additionally, the synthesized compounds showed measurable DPPH radical scavenging activity, as a supportive assessment of antioxidant potential relevant to oxidative stress associated with diabetic complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2815-2828"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652083/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149106930","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}
Ahmed M Metwaly, Hazem Elkady, Walid E Elgammal, Ibrahim H Eissa, Mohammed S Taghour, Dalal Z Husein, Hanan A Al-Ghulikah, Fatma G Amin, Eslam B Elkaeed
{"title":"Integrated <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in silico</i> evaluations of novel benzanilide derivatives as anticancer agents.","authors":"Ahmed M Metwaly, Hazem Elkady, Walid E Elgammal, Ibrahim H Eissa, Mohammed S Taghour, Dalal Z Husein, Hanan A Al-Ghulikah, Fatma G Amin, Eslam B Elkaeed","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2727415","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2727415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>This study aimed to design, synthesize, and evaluate novel benzanilide derivatives as potential anticancer agents targeting VEGFR-2-mediated tumor angiogenesis.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Eight benzanilide derivatives (<b>7a-e, 9a-b</b>, and <b>11</b>) were synthesized and structurally confirmed using spectroscopic methods. The compounds were evaluated via molecular docking, in silico ADMET profiling, in vitro cytotoxicity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, and HCT-116 cancer cell lines, and selectivity assessment using WI-38 and WISH normal cell lines. VEGFR-2 enzyme inhibition was also determined for the most active compound.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compound <b>11</b> exhibited the highest cytotoxic activity with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 6.08, 5.76, 7.94, and 4.64 µM against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, and HCT-116, respectively, comparable to sorafenib. It showed potent VEGFR-2 inhibition (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.414 µM) superior to sorafenib (0.809 µM). Mechanistic studies indicated activation of apoptosis via upregulation of Bax, Caspase-3, and Caspase-8 and downregulation of Bcl-2. ADMET results revealed favorable pharmacokinetic properties and acceptable safety profiles.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Compound <b>11</b> represents a promising VEGFR-2 inhibitor with potent anticancer activity and favorable drug-like properties, warranting further optimization and development.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2645-2662"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13641623/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900443","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 next generation of orthopoxvirus antivirals: preparing for future threats.","authors":"Ajit D Jagtap, Zhilong Yang, Zhengqiang Wang","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2741240","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2741240","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2811-2813"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13648280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149106969","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}
Konrad Kubiński, Paweł Czubak, Aleksandra Martyna, Paweł Kozyra, Paulina Czaplewska, Sonja Engler, Johannes Buchner, Krzysztof Fink, Tomasz Goszczyński, Maciej Masłyk
{"title":"Antifungal metallacarboranes modulate Hsp90 activity.","authors":"Konrad Kubiński, Paweł Czubak, Aleksandra Martyna, Paweł Kozyra, Paulina Czaplewska, Sonja Engler, Johannes Buchner, Krzysztof Fink, Tomasz Goszczyński, Maciej Masłyk","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2732258","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2732258","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Despite growing interest in metallacarborane biological activity, the molecular targets underlying their antifungal activity remain unknown. This study aimed to identify protein targets of antifungal metallacarborane derivatives in <i>Candida albicans</i> and to characterize their interaction with the molecular chaperone Hsp90.</p><p><strong>Experimental: </strong>Affinity chromatography using chromatographic beads bearing immobilized [CoSAN-I]<sup>-</sup> was employed to pull down proteins from <i>C. albicans</i> cell lysate. Captured proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Direct binding of [CoSAN]<sup>-</sup>, [CoSAN-I]<sup>-</sup>, and its derivatives to recombinant Hsp90 was confirmed by affinity chromatography and surface plasmon resonance. The effect of compounds on Hsp90 ATPase activity was assessed using a malachite green phosphate release assay. Molecular docking and DFT (Density Functional Theory) calculations were performed to rationalize binding mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MALDI-TOF analysis identified 72 interacting proteins, of which 14 are established antifungal targets; Hsp90 showed the highest sequence coverage (82.7%). SPR confirmed direct, multivalent binding of all metallacarborane derivatives to Hsp90. The compounds modulated Hsp90 activity in a biphasic, dose-dependent manner, with maximal activation of 82-107% at 50-75 µM.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Metallacarboranes directly engage and functionally modulate Candida albicans Hsp90, establishing a novel mechanistic basis for their antifungal activity and providing a rational framework for the development of boron-cluster-based therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2713-2729"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13641588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149012211","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":"Rational drug design, synthetic and artificial intelligence approaches for bioactive heterocycles: advances and perspectives.","authors":"Debajit Dewan, Bhupender Nehra, Rajarshi Nath, Sumel Ashique, Md Jawaid Akhtar, Ekta Khare, Sheetu Wadhwa, Sabina Yasmin, Biplab Debnath, Md Yousuf Ansari","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726188","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726188","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heterocyclic scaffolds are vital to medicinal chemistry due to their versatility, diversity, and ability to target various biological molecules. This review covers advances in designing and synthesizing bioactive heterocycles, highlighting structure-based drug design (SBDD) and ligand-based drug design (LBDD) approaches with computational modeling and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to find potent, selective molecules with good Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) profiles. Case studies show the successful development of heterocyclic drugs for cancer, microbial infections, inflammation, viral infections, and Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders. Synthetic methods have evolved from classical electrophilic/nucleophilic reactions to modern techniques like multicomponent reactions, microwave synthesis, metal catalysis, and green chemistry, making frameworks more accessible. The review discusses Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) studies for molecular optimization. Challenges like synthetic complexity and resistance remain, but emerging trends like machine learning, omics, and enzyme synthesis offer new opportunities. Ultimately, combining design principles and innovative methods can speed up drug discovery and enable sustainable, personalized therapies with heterocyclic pharmacophores.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2747-2769"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13641420/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148873252","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}
Mohamed M Khalifa, Ibtehal Nasser Salman, Reyadh Jassem
{"title":"VEGFR-2 as a druggable target: recent advances (2025) in the development of five-membered heterocyclic anticancer agents.","authors":"Mohamed M Khalifa, Ibtehal Nasser Salman, Reyadh Jassem","doi":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726194","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17568919.2026.2726194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global burden of cancer continues to escalate, with angiogenesis representing a critical driver of tumor progression and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) stands as the principal mediator of angiogenic signaling, making it an established and compelling therapeutic target. Despite the clinical success of first-generation inhibitors, their long-term efficacy remains limited by off-target toxicities, suboptimal pharmacokinetic profiles, and the inevitable emergence of drug resistance through multiple adaptive mechanisms. These limitations underscore an urgent need for next-generation inhibitors engineered with enhanced selectivity, improved safety margins, and the capacity to circumvent resistance pathways. This comprehensive review systematically examines recent advances in the rational design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of five-membered heterocyclic scaffolds, thiadiazol, oxazole, thiazole, and pyrrole, as well as pyrazole and imidazole-based inhibitors as novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Each section analyzes the molecular hybridization strategies employed to integrate essential pharmacophoric features, including heteroaromatic hinge-binding motifs, hydrogen bond donor-acceptor systems for DFG motif engagement, and terminal hydrophobic groups for allosteric pocket occupancy. Detailed structure-activity relationship discussions elucidate how substituent variations influence potency, selectivity, and physicochemical properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":12475,"journal":{"name":"Future medicinal chemistry","volume":" ","pages":"2771-2790"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13641635/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148864354","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}