Advances in Hydrazone Compounds with Anticancer Activity
A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2025 | Viewed by 645
Special Issue Editors
Interests: hydrazones; anticancer activity; metal complexes; lipophilicity; structure–activity relations
Interests: drug design; molecular docking; molecular dynamics; hydrazones; anticancer activity; structure–activity relations
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Hydrazones, characterized by their R-C=N-NH-R' linkage, are attracting widespread attention in medicinal chemistry as a promising class of anticancer agents. Their structural simplicity, synthetic accessibility, and diverse pharmacological activities have prompted extensive research into their anticancer potential. One important trend in this domain is the development of novel hydrazone derivatives with enhanced potency and selectivity, with structural modifications—such as the incorporation of heterocyclic rings, introduction of halogen atoms, and optimization of substituent groups, including methoxy, methyl, and amino groups—serving as strategies. Another means by which to increase activity is to include hydrazones as ligands in various metal complexes. A key area of research is therefore understanding their mechanisms of action. The conjugation of hydrazones with nanoparticles is also being examined to ensure the precise targeting of the tumor while minimizing systemic toxicity and maximizing therapeutic concentration at target sites.
This Special Issue focuses on advances in the design, synthesis, and anticancer activity of novel hydrazones and their metal complexes. Authors are encouraged to contribute original research articles, reviews, and short communications examining hydrazones that selectively target specific cancer hallmarks, leading to improved efficacy and reduced off-target effects.
Dr. Boryana Nikolova-Mladenova
Prof. Dr. Mariyana Atanasova
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- hydrazones
- lipophilicity
- logP
- anticancer activity
- selectivity
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