Advances in the Synthesis and Application of Heterocyclic Compounds

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 110

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Organic Technology and Petrochemistry, The Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, PL-44100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: heterocyclic compounds; cross-coupling reaction; organic synthesis; azo compounds

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Organic Technology and Petrochemistry, The Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 4, PL-44100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: heterocyclic compounds; synthesis; physical chemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The world is persistently moving forward and science is constantly developing; as a result, the knowledge of new generations is becoming enriched with new information. The world of science is filled with people who passionately explore chemistry, which we can compare to the discovery of the world by children playing with Lego blocks. Scientists are competing with each other to create new methods for the synthesis of compounds with valuable properties, for modifications of existing systems to improve their assets, or for the construction of entirely new structures in the hope of finding breakthrough activities. What once seemed impossible is now within reach.It is safe to say that when a chemical compound exhibits valuable biological properties, medicine becomes the leading area of scientists’ ​​interest. In pharmacology, heterocyclic compounds undoubtedly play a crucial role. Determining useful pharmacophores allows scientists to modify the structure of existing drugs or search for alternative solutions for specific biological targets.

This Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals aims to summarize information from original articles and reviews on new synthesis methods and applications of heterocyclic compounds in medicine.

Dr. Monika Olesiejuk
Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Kudelko
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • organic synthesis
  • heterocyclic compounds
  • biological activity
  • medicine
  • therapeutics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 8189 KiB  
Review
Exploring Macrocyclic Chemical Space: Strategies and Technologies for Drug Discovery
by Taegwan Kim, Eunbee Baek and Jonghoon Kim
Pharmaceuticals 2025, 18(5), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18050617 - 24 Apr 2025
Abstract
Macrocycles have emerged as significant therapeutic candidates in drug discovery due to their unique capacity to target complex and traditionally inaccessible biological interfaces. Their structurally constrained three-dimensional configurations facilitate high-affinity interactions with challenging targets, notably protein–protein interfaces. However, despite their potential, the synthesis [...] Read more.
Macrocycles have emerged as significant therapeutic candidates in drug discovery due to their unique capacity to target complex and traditionally inaccessible biological interfaces. Their structurally constrained three-dimensional configurations facilitate high-affinity interactions with challenging targets, notably protein–protein interfaces. However, despite their potential, the synthesis and optimization of macrocyclic compounds present considerable challenges related to structural complexity, synthetic accessibility, and the attainment of favorable drug-like properties, particularly cell permeability and oral bioavailability. Recent advancements in synthetic methodologies have expanded the chemical space accessible to macrocycles, enabling the creation of structurally diverse and pharmacologically active compounds. Concurrent developments in computational strategies have further enhanced macrocycle design, providing valuable insights into structural optimization and predicting molecular properties essential for therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, a deeper understanding of macrocycles’ conformational adaptability, especially their ability to internally shield polar functionalities to improve membrane permeability, has significantly informed their rational design. This review discusses recent innovations in synthetic and computational methodologies that have advanced macrocycle drug discovery over the past five years. It emphasizes the importance of integrating these strategies to overcome existing challenges, illustrating how their synergy expands the therapeutic potential and chemical diversity of macrocycles. Selected case studies underscore the practical impact of these integrated approaches, highlighting promising therapeutic applications across diverse biomedical targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Synthesis and Application of Heterocyclic Compounds)
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