Sulfonamide derivatives as multi-target agents for complex diseases

Sulfonamide derivatives are frequently seen structural motifs in medicinal chemistry. Almost a century after Gerhard Domagk's pioneering work leading to the first sulfonamide antibiotic Prontosil, sulfa-drugs are still widely utilized in various pharmaceutical applications due to their antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, antifungal, anticancer, antidepressant, or other properties. In the past few years, the interest in sulfonamides has increased as their broad range of bioactivity and versatile structure make them excellent candidates for repurposing old drugs or developing new multi-target agents in the emerging field of polypharmacology. This digest aims to provide an overview of recent advances in sulfonamide-based bioactive compounds, their importance in drug discovery and development emphasizing multi-target approaches for complex diseases, and their novel contribution to contemporary medicinal chemistry.