Modern synthetic pathways towards eribulin and its subunits

• Sebastian Dominik Graf

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 495–526, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.37

• described the total synthesis of the marine natural product [19] and shortly thereafter, also its simplified structure, 1, was assembled and showed similar anticancer behavior [19][21]. Since 2010, the mesylate salt of 1 is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of

Recent advances in the stereoselective synthesis of distal biaxially chiral molecules

• Fanxing Zhou,
• Chen Zhang,
• Lingyu Sun,
• Yiyun Fang,
• Siming Zheng,
• Lina Hu,
• Mengyang Shen,
• Zhen Zhao,
• Wei Xu,
• Yunqiang Sun and
• Zi-Qiang Rong

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 461–479, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.34

• distal axial chiralities are widely applied in chiral ligands, natural products, and anticancer agents, with their unique spatial configurations endowing them with distinctive functions and values. Although significant progress has been made in the asymmetric synthesis of distal biaxial chirality

Structural reassignment of compound 968, an allosteric glutaminase inhibitor

• Lindsey A. Albertelli,
• Sainabou Jallow,
• Chun Li and
• Scott M. Ulrich

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 455–460, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.33

• anticancer drug target. Compound 968 is a glutaminase inhibitor that is widely used to probe cancer cells’ dependence on glutaminase activity. Here, we show by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography that the reported benzo[c]phenanthridine structure of compound 968 is incorrect; its true structure is the

• demands of the proliferative state creates an opportunity to selectively target cancer cells [1][7]. Chemical inhibition of GLS has emerged as an attractive anticancer strategy, and several classes of GLS inhibitors have been discovered [1][2]. DON is a diazo-containing electrophilic glutamine analog that

• and stabilizes a catalytically inactive form of the enzyme [11][12]. The BPTES scaffold has undergone significant medicinal chemistry development resulting in CB-839/telaglenastat, which is being evaluated in clinical trials in combination with other anticancer agents [13]. Compound 968 is a third

Synthesis and anti-cancer activity of naphthalimide–organylselanyl conjugates

• Rajkumar Ravi and
• Selvakumar Karuthapandi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 416–435, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.29

• optimisation. In this study, we report the in-silico modelling and anticancer activity of two 1,8-napthalimide (NAP) derivatives containing organyl selanyl groups. The organylselanyl function n-octylselanyl (n-OctSe) or phenylselanyl (PhSe) was introduced at the 6-position of a naphthalimide structure having a

• structurally characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The anticancer potential of the NAP-SePh and NAP-Se(n-Oct) was evaluated using an in vitro cell viability assay with MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. The IC₅₀ values for compounds NAP-SePh and NAP-Se(n-Oct) were

• epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in which erlotinib, a well-known anticancer drug, binds. Keywords: cell line study; density functional theory; MDA-MB-231; molecular docking; organoselanyl conjugates; Introduction Cancer remains one of the most common and life-threatening diseases globally, posing

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,5-diaryloxazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7-ylamines as selective cytotoxic agents against HeLa cells

• Maryna V. Kachaeva,
• Agnieszka B. Olejniczak,
• Marta Denel-Bobrowska,
• Victor V. Zhirnov,
• Yevheniia S. Velihina,
• Stepan G. Pilyo and
• Volodymyr S. Brovarets

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 390–398, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.27

• liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Their anticancer activity was assessed against human cancer cell as well as non-cancer cell lines. Three compounds, 1, 3, and 9, were the most cytotoxic to HeLa cells (IC50 = 6.13 ± 1.95, 13.99 ± 1.80 and 49.92 ± 3.98 μM, respectively). However, only compounds 1

• , 7, and 9 were selective against the tested lines. Compound 9 can be classified as the most attractive and promising candidate for further development against cervical adenocarcinoma. Keywords: ADMET analysis; anticancer activity; 2,5-diaryloxazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidin-7-ylamines; Introduction Purine

• -mimicking scaffolds are a proven strategy in the design of anticancer drugs. Many cancer-related proteins (e.g., kinases, ATPases, DNA/RNA polymerases) have binding pockets designed for purine nucleotides (ATP, GTP). Oxazolopyrimidines can compete with purines or their analogues, inhibiting enzymatic

Spirobarbiturates with a pyrrolizidine moiety: synthesis, structure and biological evaluation

• Arthur A. Puzyrkov,
• Andrew S. Drachuk,
• Ekaterina A. Popova,
• Alexander V. Stepakov and
• Vitali M. Boitsov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 274–288, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.20

• animals [31][32][33]. However, some representatives of these compounds (Scheme 2) find applications in pharmacology [34] due to their antimicrobial (megalanthonine; subulacine N-oxide) [35][36], anti-inflammatory (lindelofidine, benzoic acid ester; paludosine) [37][38], anticancer (ligulachyroine) [39

Total synthesis of natural products based on hydrogenation of aromatic rings

• Haoxiang Wu and
• Xiangbing Qi

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2026, 22, 88–122, doi:10.3762/bjoc.22.4

• sustained interest from synthetic chemists worldwide due to their pronounced antibacterial and anticancer properties. Since their discovery, bis-THIQ scaffolds have been constructed primarily through the Pictet–Spengler reaction, a cyclization strategy that continues to be widely employed in total synthesis

Total synthesis of asperdinones B, C, D, E and terezine D

• Ravi Devarajappa and
• Stephen Hanessian

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2730–2738, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.210

• indole alkaloids is known for its biomedical importance [2]. These alkaloids have been isolated from plants [3], marine sources [4], bacterial sources [5][6][7], and they are particularly relevant primarily because of their potent pharmacological activities as among other, anticancer drugs, but also for

Competitive cyclization of ethyl trifluoroacetoacetate and methyl ketones with 1,3-diamino-2-propanol into hydrogenated oxazolo- and pyrimido-condensed pyridones

• Svetlana O. Kushch,
• Marina V. Goryaeva,
• Yanina V. Burgart,
• Marina A. Ezhikova,
• Mikhail I. Kodess,
• Pavel A. Slepukhin,
• Alexandrina S. Volobueva,
• Vladimir V. Zarubaev and
• Victor I. Saloutin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2716–2729, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.209

• ], fluopyram [36], and the nematicide fluazaindolisine [37] (Figure 1). The trifluoromethyl piperidine backbone is part of the structure of anticancer [38] and antirheumatic [39] agents. The fluorine-containing pyridines and their heteroannelated derivatives are known to exhibit a high biological potential, on

Thiazolidinones: novel insights from microwave synthesis, computational studies, and potentially bioactive hybrids

• Luan A. Martinho,
• Victor H. J. G. Praciano,
• Guilherme D. R. Matos,
• Claudia C. Gatto and
• Carlos Kleber Z. Andrade

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2618–2636, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.203

• , ciglitazone, and rosiglitazone [9][10]. Rhodanine (2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one) derivatives exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antiviral [11], antimalarial [12], antimicrobial [13], anti-inflammatory [14], anticancer [15], antidiabetic [16], antibacterial [17], and antifungal [18

Synthesis and characterization of a isothiouronium-calix[4]arene derivative: self-assembly and anticancer activity

• Giuseppe Granata,
• Loredana Ferreri,
• Claudia Giovanna Leotta,
• Giovanni Mario Pitari and
• Grazia Maria Letizia Consoli

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2535–2541, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.195

• , and low toxicity make calixarene derivatives valuable drug candidates against cancer. The aim of the present study was the synthesis and characterization of a calix[4]arene derivative in which known anticancer isothiouronium groups were clustered on a calix[4]arene scaffold bearing long C12 alkyl

• confirmed by comparison with the calix[4]arene precursor (1) lacking these functional units. The selective antiproliferative profile of compound 3 highlights its potential as a lead anticancer agent. Moreover, compound 3 holds promise for further development in combination multidrug therapy due to the

• potential to load drug molecules in the bioactive nanoassembled structure. Keywords: anticancer agent; calixarene; nanostructure; self-assembly; Introduction Cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant advancements in chemotherapy, more effective and

Pentacyclic aromatic heterocycles from Pd-catalyzed annulation of 1,5-diaryl-1,2,3-triazoles

• Kaylen D. Lathrum,
• Emily M. Hanneken,
• Katelyn R. Grzelak and
• James T. Fletcher

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2524–2534, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.194

• ][21], and materials [22][23][24]. Numerous examples of 1,4-diaryl-1,2,3-triazoles with quinoline and isoquinoline subunits have been reported, including those with anticancer [25][26][27][28][29], antiviral [30][31], antibacterial [32], antifungal [33], antimalarial [34][35], antitubercular [36], and

Halogenated butyrolactones from the biomass-derived synthon levoglucosenone

• Johannes Puschnig,
• Martyn Jevric and
• Ben W. Greatrex

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2297–2301, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.175

• dichloro-magnesium enolates to protected ᴅ-glyceraldehyde [11]. In 1988, Hertel et al. from the Lilly laboratories published the first synthesis of the clinically important anticancer agent gemcitabine, using an intermediate γ-butyrolactone constructed using protected ᴅ-glyceraldehyde and ethyl

Discovery of cytotoxic indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline derivatives through scaffold-based design

• Daniil V. Khabarov,
• Valeria A. Litvinova,
• Lyubov G. Dezhenkova,
• Dmitry N. Kaluzhny,
• Alexander S. Tikhomirov and
• Andrey E. Shchekotikhin

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2062–2071, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.161

• , offering valuable insights into their SAR and paving the way for a future evaluation of these compounds as anticancer therapeutics. Keywords: antiproliferative activity; antitumor agents; indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline; modification; structure–activity relationship; Introduction Organic compounds featuring

• for more extensive structure–activity relationship investigations. This work represents the first systematic evaluation of the anticancer potential of indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline derivatives, a chemotype previously studied mainly for synthetic accessibility but not for biological activity. Unlike prior

• (positions 5, 6, and 12) with anticancer activity, thereby establishing indolo[1,2-c]quinazolines as a novel and underexplored platform for drug discovery. Results and Discussion Planar polycyclic compounds including classical frameworks such as acridine, anthraquinone, naphthalenediimide, etc. demonstrate

α-Ketoglutaric acid in Ugi reactions and Ugi/aza-Wittig tandem reactions

• Vladyslav O. Honcharov,
• Yana I. Sakhno,
• Olena H. Shvets,
• Vyacheslav E. Saraev,
• Svitlana V. Shishkina,
• Tetyana V. Shcherbakova and
• Valentyn A. Chebanov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 2021–2029, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.157

• ], antibacterial [8][14][15], and anticancer [16][17] activities. The use of the Ugi reaction followed by post-cyclization is an effective strategy that yields diverse heterocycle-containing peptidomimetics and requires a minimal number of steps [18]. For example, Mazur et al. [19] developed an efficient method

• regarded as privileged heterocyclic moieties in the development of new pharmacologically active organic compounds (Figure 1) [37]. These structures are of great interest to chemists because of their broad spectrum of potential biological effects, including anticancer [38], antibacterial [39] and anti-HIV

Enantioselective desymmetrization strategy of prochiral 1,3-diols in natural product synthesis

• Lihua Wei,
• Rui Yang,
• Zhifeng Shi and
• Zhiqiang Ma

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1932–1963, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.151

• completed the total synthesis of salinosporamide A, a marine-derived natural product with anticancer activity, featuring an enzymatic desymmetrization (Scheme 17) [49]. To establish the C4 chiral center, prochiral diol 118 (prepared from known compound 117) was treated with lipase from Pseudomonas sp. (WAKO

Synthesis, biological and electrochemical evaluation of glycidyl esters of phosphorus acids as potential anticancer drugs

• Almaz A. Zagidullin,
• Emil R. Bulatov,
• Mikhail N. Khrizanforov,
• Damir R. Davletshin,
• Elvina M. Gilyazova,
• Ivan A. Strelkov and
• Vasily A. Miluykov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1909–1916, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.148

• case of MCF7. Additionally, linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) studies on human serum albumin (HSA) were conducted to investigate their alkylating properties. The electrochemical results suggest that these compounds effectively modify albumin, highlighting their potential as reactive anticancer agents

• . These findings provide important insights into the synthesis, cytotoxic activity, and biochemical reactivity of glycidyl esters of phosphorus acids, underscoring their potential as lead structures for further development in anticancer drug discovery and pharmaceutical research. Keywords: alkylating

• chemical literature regarding the biological activity (including anticancer properties) of phosphoric esters, reports on biological studies of systems based on the P=O fragment and oxirane skeletons are less common. Nevertheless, systems containing both of the mentioned structural motifs are rarely

Fe-catalyzed efficient synthesis of 2,4- and 4-substituted quinolines via C(sp²)–C(sp²) bond scission of styrenes

• Prafull A. Jagtap,
• Manish M. Petkar,
• Vaishnavi R. Sawant and
• Bhalchandra M. Bhanage

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1799–1807, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.142

• in active pharmaceutical ingredients, therapeutic agents, and agrochemical formulations [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Around 60% of recently FDA-approved drugs contain heterocyclic compounds, with quinoline recognized as a key structural motif due to its significant anticancer, antifungal

Research progress on calixarene/pillararene-based controlled drug release systems

• Liu-Huan Yi,
• Jian Qin,
• Si-Ran Lu,
• Liu-Pan Yang,
• Li-Li Wang and
• Huan Yao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1757–1785, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.139

• cyclodextrins in terms of controllable functionalization [61]. In clinical applications, particularly for anticancer drug conjugation, CAs demonstrate remarkable cancer cell selectivity, minimized off-target effects, enhanced delivery efficiency, and reduced systemic toxicity. Additionally, their synthetic

• , typically featuring shared membrane interfaces or segregated internal spaces. They subsequently loaded the anticancer drug DOX into the vesicle. The formation mechanism benefits from the rigid conical structure of C4AS, which significantly reduces the critical aggregation concentration of MVC12 by 1000

• making the system sensitive to cyclodextrins. Experiments have confirmed that this carrier can efficiently encapsulate DOX and trigger drug release through multiple stimuli, demonstrating good potential for anticancer therapy in vitro. This intelligent delivery system, integrating temperature, redox, and

Preparation of a furfural-derived enantioenriched vinyloxazoline building block and exploring its reactivity

• Madara Darzina,
• Anna Lielpetere and
• Aigars Jirgensons

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1737–1741, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.136

• potent gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonists with potential application as anticancer drugs [25] and as nucleoside analogs with antiviral potency [26]. According to the reaction mechanism proposed by Elliott et al., the aza-Diels–Alder reaction of vinyloxazoline S-6 with TsNCO is a step

Facile synthesis of hydantoin/1,2,4-oxadiazoline spiro-compounds via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile oxides to 5-iminohydantoins

• Juliana V. Petrova,
• Varvara T. Tkachenko,
• Victor A. Tafeenko,
• Anna S. Pestretsova,
• Vadim S. Pokrovsky,
• Maxim E. Kukushkin and
• Elena K. Beloglazkina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1552–1560, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.118

• pharmacophore, and molecules containing this group exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antitumor, anti-HIV, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antitubercular properties [1][2]. Among these molecules, bicyclic compounds with the dihydrooxadiazole connected to

• known for their anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, adrenoreceptor modulating, anticonvulsant, antiplatelet, anti-HIV, and other activities [5][6]. Modifying hydantoins at the N1, N3, and C5 positions make it possible to achieve better pharmacological properties. In this paper

Heterologous biosynthesis of cotylenol and concise synthesis of fusicoccane diterpenoids

• Ye Yuan,
• Zhenhua Guan,
• Xue-Jie Zhang,
• Nanyu Yao,
• Wenling Yuan,
• Yonghui Zhang,
• Ying Ye and
• Zheng Xiang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1489–1495, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.111

• biosynthesis; P450 oxidation; synthesis; Introduction Fusicoccanes are a family of 5-8-5 tricyclic diterpenoid natural products that are produced by bacteria, fungi, algae, and plants (Figure 1a) [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Fusicoccanes possess a broad range of biological activities, including anticancer, anti

Photoredox-catalyzed arylation of isonitriles by diaryliodonium salts towards benzamides

• Nadezhda M. Metalnikova,
• Nikita S. Antonkin,
• Tuan K. Nguyen,
• Natalia S. Soldatova,
• Alexander V. Nyuchev,
• Mikhail A. Kinzhalov and
• Pavel S. Postnikov

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1480–1488, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.110

• bioactive compounds. According to the DrugBank there are more than 250 approved drugs classified as amides [2]. Just recently, between February 2021 and June 2022, sixteen anticancer drugs containing an amide bond have been approved by the U.S. FDA [3]. Consequently, the preparation of amides has garnered

Microwave-enhanced additive-free C–H amination of benzoxazoles catalysed by supported copper

• Andrei Paraschiv,
• Valentina Maruzzo,
• Filippo Pettazzi,
• Stefano Magliocco,
• Paolo Inaudi,
• Daria Brambilla,
• Gloria Berlier,
• Giancarlo Cravotto and
• Katia Martina

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1462–1476, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.108

• pharmaceutical activity and their importance within the materials sciences [1][2]. 2-Aminobenzoxazoles, in particular, are important building blocks in the development of new bioactive compounds that can be useful as therapeutic agents with antibacterial [3], antiviral, antifungal [4], anticancer [5][6][7] and

Reactions of acryl thioamides with iminoiodinanes as a one-step synthesis of N-sulfonyl-2,3-dihydro-1,2-thiazoles

• Vladimir G. Ilkin,
• Pavel S. Silaichev,
• Valeriy O. Filimonov,
• Tetyana V. Beryozkina,
• Margarita D. Likhacheva,
• Pavel A. Slepukhin,
• Wim Dehaen and
• Vasiliy A. Bakulev

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1397–1403, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.104

• groups; synthesis; 1,2-thiazolines; thioamides; Introduction 1,2-Thiazoles (isothiazoles) exhibit a wide range of biological activity (Figure 1): antipoliovirus [1], anticancer [2][3][4][5][6][7], against Parkinson's disease [8], and diabetes [9][10][11], and are also used as microbiocides [12][13