Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine Based Compounds: The Hopeful Anti-Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses a systemic drug to kill cancer cells wherever it finds in the body. It implements their actions through intervention with molecular mechanisms such as some core regulatory enzymes, molecular processes, or immune-related pathways during cell division and proliferation. Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines (IPs) are nitrogen-based heterocycles that have a wide variety of biological activities. This review highlights the anticancer properties of chemotherapy and the problems facing it as an anticancer therapy. Furthermore, it reviews the available works of literature focused on the potential efficacy of IPs-based compounds in cancer treatment, and discuss the molecular mechanisms driving its anticancer effects; through clarification the targets associated with cancer. This review also will benefit the research community in the field of anticancer agent discovery by introducing the IPs as novel therapeutic agents. Various In-vitro studies have shown different IPs -based compounds have potential therapeutic effects against different cancer cell lines including; breast, liver, colon, cervical, lung, and kidney cancers. The anticancer effects of these compounds primarily result from their inhibitory effects on different molecular mechanisms including, PI3K/Akt, CENP-E, IGF-1R, CDKs, Tubulin Polymerization Inhibition, and c-Met inhibition.