Chromones: Privileged scaffold in anticancer drug discovery

In the design and discovery of anticancer drugs, various natural heterocyclic scaffolds have attracted considerable interest as privileged structures. For rational drug design, some of the natural scaffolds such as chromones have exhibited wide acceptability due to their drug-like properties. Among the approved anticancer drugs, the scaffolds with high selectivity for a small group of closely related targets are of importance. In the development of selective anticancer agents, the natural, as well as synthetic, can generate highly selective compounds toward cancer targets. The present manuscript includes more particularly the development of cancer inhibitors incorporating the chromone scaffold, with a strong emphasis on their molecular interactions in the anticancer mechanism. It also includes the structure-activity relationship studies and related examples of lead optimization.

Automated summary

Natural heterocyclic scaffolds, such as chromones, are of interest in the design and discovery of anticancer drugs due to their drug-like properties. The development of selective anticancer agents, whether natural or synthetic, can yield highly selective compounds towards cancer targets. This manuscript focuses on the development of cancer inhibitors utilizing the chromone scaffold and emphasizes their molecular interactions in the anticancer mechanism.