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Recent Advances in the Development of Innovative Anticancer Agents and Antitumor Strategies

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 639

Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug discovery; synthetic organic chemistry; anticancer agents; multitarget-directed ligands; polypharmacology; hybrid compounds; prodrugs; mutual prodrugs; 5-fluorouracil; HO-1 inhibitors; sigma receptor ligands; 5-HT7 receptor ligands
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Public Health, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: medicinal chemistry; drug discovery; heterocyclic compounds synthesis; serotonin; 5-HT ligands; anticancer agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
The Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences (CHIBIOFARAM), CNR-ISMN Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, URT Messina, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: supramolecular chemistry; nanomaterials; chromophores; supramolecular nanoassemblies; organic-inorganic hybrid functional nanomaterials; spectroscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a major type of noncommunicable disease that still represents one of the most frequent causes of death globally. Major challenges in current cancer research include the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment, both of which can highly affect clinical outcomes. Among several reasons for increased incidence and mortality, the most frequent ones are severe side effects and therapeutic resistance. Consequently, given the heterogeneity and multifaceted complexity of cancer etiology and pathophysiology, it stands to reason that its treatment requires multimodal approaches, along with the development of both innovative anticancer agents and pharmaceutical strategies with enhanced efficacy and safety profiles.

In light of these challenges, this Special Issue is intended to provide insights into the recent developments in cancer research, highlighting the potential impact in the field. We welcome original research papers, insightful review articles, and impactful short communications dealing with the development of novel strategies for cancer treatment. In particular, submissions that focus on a wide range of anticancer approaches, dealing with medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and supramolecular strategies, are welcome. These include, but are not limited to, the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of active small molecules, polypharmacological agents, hybrid compounds, conjugates, prodrugs, and fluorescent probes, as well as the development of controlled drug delivery systems and supramolecular nanoassemblies, including organic–inorganic hybrid nanomaterials for drug delivery and cancer theranostics. We look forward to hearing from you.

Dr. Sebastiano Intagliata
Dr. Elisa Magli
Dr. Mariachiara Trapani
Guest Editors

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 short 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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • anticancer strategies
  • anticancer agents
  • drug design
  • drug development
  • chemical synthesis
  • small molecules
  • drug delivery
  • prodrugs
  • hybrid compounds
  • multitarget ligands
  • conjugate derivatives
  • polypharmacology
  • hybrid nanoassemblies
  • nanoparticles
  • supramolecular systems
  • theranostics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 2091 KB  
Article
Subcritical Water Extract from Grape Pomace Protects Human Bronchial Epithelium Cells by Mitigating Oxidative Stress Through Nrf2 Pathway
by Federica Affranchi, Giovanni Pratelli, Raffaele Raimondo, Pavel Kiselev, Michela Giuliano, Antonietta Notaro and Sonia Emanuele
Molecules 2026, 31(10), 1736; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31101736 - 19 May 2026
Viewed by 273
Abstract
In the context of the circular economy, the valorization of natural biomolecules from by-products has recently represented a major goal in health promotion. From this perspective, this study examined the antioxidant potential of Sicilian white grape pomace from the Pinot Gris variety, using [...] Read more.
In the context of the circular economy, the valorization of natural biomolecules from by-products has recently represented a major goal in health promotion. From this perspective, this study examined the antioxidant potential of Sicilian white grape pomace from the Pinot Gris variety, using subcritical water extraction as an eco-friendly and innovative method to recover bioactive compounds. Different extraction parameters allowed for comparing the potential of various fractions. Among these, the Subcritical Water Extract obtained after 5 min at 160 °C (SWE160.1) was rich in gallic acid and protocatechuic acid, as evidenced by characterization with UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-HRMS system. SWE160.1 showed efficacious antioxidant activity, as confirmed by DPPH assay and total polyphenol and flavonoid content. Interestingly, SWE160.1 displayed cytotoxic activity in tumor cell lines, while preserving the viability of non-tumor bronchial epithelial cells. Specifically, SWE160.1 protected these cells from exogenous oxidative stress, reducing the ROS levels and activating Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response. Surprisingly, upregulation of antioxidant enzymes (HO-1 and SOD-2) induced by SWE160.1 was maintained in the presence of lipopolysaccharide, indicating a specific involvement of SWE160.1 in the anti-inflammatory response. Finally, SWE160.1 was also able to limit the formation of stress granules following acute stress, thereby supporting its potential to maintain cellular homeostasis. Overall, this study highlights the potential of grape pomace as a source of active molecules to prevent oxidative stress and inflammation. Full article
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