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Cancers
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Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents
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Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Drug Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2026 | Viewed by 5963

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
Interests: cancer; drug resistance; natural compound; targeted therapy; drug delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a complex and challenging disease that imposes a significant economic burden on society. Despite extensive research aimed at understanding its biology, cancer remains persistent, and there is no cure for its advanced stages. As a result, there is growing interest within the scientific community in developing anti-cancer agents. This Special Issue will focus on the key challenges and recent advancements in targeted therapeutics that aim to improve effectiveness, reduce side effects, and overcome mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer treatment.

We invite authors to submit their research and review articles on the latest progress in therapeutic agents for this Special issue, entitled "Recent Updates and Future Perspectives of Anti-Cancer Agents". We will consider articles focusing on anti-cancer drugs, natural compounds, combination therapy, targeted therapy, nanotherapy, and translational therapy. The ultimate goal is to enhance our understanding of cancer and develop promising therapies that will improve patients' overall quality of life.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer
  • anti-cancer agents
  • targeted therapy
  • drug resistance
  • therapeutic agents
  • natural compounds
  • combination therapy
  • nanotherapy
  • translational therapy
  • immunotherapy

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

20 pages, 3401 KB  
Review
Nature-Inspired Gold(I) Complexes as Anticancer Agents: Ligand Design, Structure–Activity Relationships, and Mechanisms
by Amrin Begum, Navya PN, Pooran Kumar, Srinivasa Reddy Telukutla, Ruchika Ojha, Magdalena Plebanski and Suresh K. Bhargava
Cancers 2026, 18(4), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18040631 - 15 Feb 2026
Viewed by 567
Abstract
Nature-inspired ligands, including natural product scaffolds and bio-inspired motifs, have emerged as an important source for the development of gold(I) complexes with promising preclinical anticancer activity. This review focuses on structurally characterised gold(I) complexes derived from these ligands, emphasising how ligand structure and [...] Read more.
Nature-inspired ligands, including natural product scaffolds and bio-inspired motifs, have emerged as an important source for the development of gold(I) complexes with promising preclinical anticancer activity. This review focuses on structurally characterised gold(I) complexes derived from these ligands, emphasising how ligand structure and gold coordination influence the biological activity. This paper covers the synthesis of nature-inspired gold(I) complexes, alkynyl, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), heteroatom-donor, and heterobimetallic complexes, which collectively contribute to enhanced cytotoxicity, stability, and mechanistic diversity. By focusing on these nature-inspired gold(I) complexes, this review provides a concise structure–activity perspective and outlines future opportunities for rational design in anticancer research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents)
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18 pages, 1185 KB  
Review
Emerging Therapeutic Approaches to Engage the Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
by Isla Henry, Rebecca Foreman, Lakshana Balachandran, Ethan Mortimer and Mohammad Asim
Cancers 2025, 17(23), 3755; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17233755 - 25 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2098
Abstract
Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major clinical challenge, with disease progression frequently occurring despite the use of potent androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies. As AR signalling continues to drive tumour growth in this setting, new therapeutic strategies are being developed to disrupt the [...] Read more.
Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a major clinical challenge, with disease progression frequently occurring despite the use of potent androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies. As AR signalling continues to drive tumour growth in this setting, new therapeutic strategies are being developed to disrupt the AR axis through both direct and indirect mechanisms. This review highlights a selection of promising agents in preclinical or clinical development that represent the next generation of therapies targeting AR signalling. Direct approaches include novel agents that degrade the AR or target domains beyond the conventional ligand-binding domain, aiming to overcome resistance to existing anti-androgens. Indirect strategies are designed to interfere with AR function by modulating AR-associated transcriptional co-regulators, chromatin accessibility, and other regulatory proteins, such as splicing factors, that are critical for sustaining AR-driven gene expression in prostate cancer. Together, these therapies form the basis of emerging strategies to more effectively suppress AR activity in CRPC. This review discusses AR-activating mechanisms, the mechanisms of action of these agents, their clinical development status, and their potential to reshape future treatment paradigms in CRPC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents)
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27 pages, 1730 KB  
Review
Harnessing Liquiritigenin: A Flavonoid-Based Approach for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer
by Anjana Sajeev, Babu Santha Aswani, Mohammed S. Alqahtani, Mohamed Abbas, Gautam Sethi and Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara
Cancers 2025, 17(14), 2328; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17142328 - 13 Jul 2025
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2635
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The integration of natural compounds in cancer research marked a crucial shift in the modern medical landscape, through a growing acknowledgment of their potential as efficient, less toxic, and cost-effective alternatives to contemporary chemotherapeutics. Liquiritigenin (LIQ) is a compound obtained from different [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The integration of natural compounds in cancer research marked a crucial shift in the modern medical landscape, through a growing acknowledgment of their potential as efficient, less toxic, and cost-effective alternatives to contemporary chemotherapeutics. Liquiritigenin (LIQ) is a compound obtained from different plants, the most important being the Glycyrrhiza species, commonly known as licorice. Methods: This review compiles findings from previously published preclinical studies and experimental research articles focusing on LIQ’s pharmacological effects, with particular attention to its anticancer potential. The relevant literature was identified using established scientific databases and selected based on relevance to cancer biology and LIQ-associated signaling pathways. Results: LIQ demonstrates anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects. It exerts its potential anticancer activities by inducing apoptosis, preventing cell proliferation, and modulating various signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and so on. Conclusions: LIQ represents a promising natural agent for cancer therapy, with evidence supporting its multifunctional role in targeting tumor growth and survival mechanisms. By providing a detailed analysis of LIQ, this review aims to highlight its therapeutic efficacy across various cancer types and emphasize its importance as a promising compound in cancer research. In addition, this review seeks to bridge the gap between traditional medicine and modern pharmacology and paves the way for LIQ’s clinical application in cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Updates and Future Perspectives on Anti-Cancer Agents)
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