Pharmaceutical Applications of Heterocyclic Compounds
A special issue of Scientia Pharmaceutica (ISSN 2218-0532).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: chemistry of heterocyclic compounds; microwave-assisted chemistry; sustainable methodologies; green chemistry applied to bioactive compounds: kinase inhibitors; Alzheimer's disease; Down syndrome; cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Heterocycles play a central role in organic chemistry and, more importantly, serve as preferred scaffolds in pharmaceutical research. Their unique ability to modulate biological activity explains why the majority of approved drugs contain at least one heterocyclic unit. Beyond therapeutic applications, these structures are also the basis for numerous applications in biology, materials science, optics, and electronics.
Despite extensive historical research, the discovery of novel heterocyclic structures remains difficult. However, the constant need for drugs with innovative mechanisms of action makes expanding the accessible chemical space more crucial than ever. Due to their structural diversity and adaptability, heterocycles continue to play a key role in the development of next-generation therapeutic agents.
Even as research increasingly targets specialized and complex applications, advances in fundamental synthesis methods remain essential. Innovative strategies for heterocycle construction not only expand molecular diversity and complexity but also support the principles of sustainable chemistry, reducing the environmental impact of chemical production while enabling the discovery of new bioactive molecules.
Call for Contributions:
This Special Issue invites scientists to submit original communications and papers that describe recent advances in the use of heterocycles in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical applications. Our goal is to highlight new approaches and discoveries in the field and explore their potential impacts on future therapeutic applications. Reviews reporting on the relevance of heterocyclic compounds in the pharmaceutical field are also welcome.
Prof. Dr. Thierry Besson
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 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. Scientia Pharmaceutica is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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
- medicinal chemistry
- bioactive heterocyclic compounds
- chemical space
- chemical tools
- innovative and sustainable synthetic routes
- molecular modelling studies
- pharmacological properties
- prodrug design and development
- in vitro and in vivo studies
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