Scientists use heterocycles to target cancer toward safer, smarter treatments

Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, claiming the lives of millions of individuals worldwide. The major types of prevalent cancers include carcinoma, sarcoma, leukaemia and lymphoma. The specific organs affected in these cancers are kidney, bladder, lung, breast, colon, colorectal and brain. Among all of them, leukaemia (a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow) remains one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in children, followed by brain cancer which occurs in up to 25% of cases.

According to studies, the brain tumor effects can vary depending on the specific part of the of the brain that is affected. Glioblastoma (GBM), for instance, originate from glial cells, and is one of the most challenging and shows resistance to treatment. GBM accounts for 51% of initial malignant brain tumors, making them a significant concern in healthcare. With an annual occurrence of 3.0 to 3.6 instances per 100,000 people or approximately 240,000 new cases globally, GBM is the most prevalent brain tumor in adults, currently considered the most challenging cancer to treat. The invasive nature of the disease renders surgery alone ineffective in completely removing the tumor. Consequently, a comprehensive treatment approach that encompasses various modalities is being implemented.

Despite comprehensive efforts, the treatment of GBMs remains a challenge for oncologists and the existing chemotherapeutic agents on the market often come with a range of side effects. However, advancements in the treatment of GBMs have led to improvements in the quality of life and survival rates of GBM patients. Chemotherapeutic agents have been appraised to ameliorate the existing treatment of GBMs. In our paper, we covered the current advancements in heterocyclic compounds as prospective treatment approach for GBM treatment.

According to Bhusare and Kumar (2024), novel chemical structures with low toxicity and high potency are available for glioma treatment, but these compounds should strive to overcome multidrug resistance mechanisms and efficiently penetrate the blood-brain barrier. The authors further add: "By optimizing the chemical properties and designing compounds with enhanced drug-like characteristics, we can maximize their therapeutic value and minimize adverse effects. Considering the complex nature of glioblastoma, novel structures should be rigorously tested and evaluated for their efficacy and safety profiles.”