Discovery of Small Molecules for Cancer Therapy: Current Challenges, Recent Trends, and Future Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a group of diseases in which the rapid, uncontrolled, and pathological proliferation of abnormal cells occurs. Despite substantial breakthroughs in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the disease, cancer continues to pose a formidable threat to global public health, causing the death of millions of people around the world.

In the search for more efficient therapies devoid of the drawbacks of traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy, targeted therapies have appeared as a promising approach to maximize therapeutic benefits with negligible side effects. Continuous and significant advances in the understanding of the multi-factorial pathogenesis of cancer have empowered a constant discovery of potential molecular targets and the development of novel targeted therapeutics. Small molecules have advantages over macromolecules for the targeted therapy of cancer in terms of pharmacokinetic profiles, costs, patient compliance, and so on.

This Special Issue aims to examine current challenges and recent trends and provide future perspectives to pave the way for small molecule anticancer drug discovery. We would like to invite you to submit research articles and reviews relevant to the discovery of small molecules for cancer therapy.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Mehlika Dilek Altıntop
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özdemir
Guest Editors

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