The scarcity of novel and effective therapeutics for the treatment of cancer is a pressing and alarming issue that needs to be prioritized. The number of cancer cases and deaths are increasing at a rapid rate worldwide. Doxorubicin, an anticancer agent, is currently used to treat several types of cancer. It disrupts myriad processes such as histone eviction, ceramide overproduction, DNA-adduct formation, reactive oxygen species generation, Ca2+, and iron hemostasis regulation. However, its use is limited by factors such as drug resistance, toxicity, and congestive heart failure reported in some patients. The combination of doxorubicin with other chemotherapeutic agents has been reported as an effective treatment option for cancer with few side effects. Thus, the hybridization of doxorubicin and other chemotherapeutic drugs is regarded as a promising approach that can lead to effective anticancer agents. This review gives an update on hybrid compounds containing the scaffolds of doxorubicin and its derivatives with potent chemotherapeutic effects.

The synthesis of a new compound, 2‐[(4‐bromomethyl)phenyl]‐4,5‐dihydro‐4,4‐dimethyloxazole (1), and its utility in the synthesis of oxazoline‐functionalized polystyrene by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) methods are described. Aromatic oxazolyl‐functionalized polymers were prepared by the ATRP of styrene, initiated by (1) in the presence of copper(I) bromide/2,2′‐bipyridyl catalyst system, to afford the corresponding α‐oxazolyl‐functionalized polystyrene (2). The polymerization proceeded via a controlled free radical polymerization process to produce the corresponding α‐oxazolyl‐functionalized polymers with predictable number‐average molecular weights, narrow molecular weight distributions in high‐initiator efficiency reactions. Post‐ATRP chain end modification of α‐oxazolyl‐functionalized polystyrene (2) to form the corresponding α‐carboxyl‐functionalized polystyrene (3) was achieved by successive acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis and saponification reactions. The polymerization processes were monitored by gas chromatography analyses. The unimolecular‐functionalized initiator and functionalized polymers were characterized by thin layer chromatography, spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and nonaqueous titration analysis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.

Artesunate, a semisynthetic artemisinin derivative, is well-known and used as the first-line drug for treating malaria. Apart from treating malaria, artesunate has also been found to have biological activity against a variety of cancers and viruses. It also exhibits antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, immunosuppressive activities, etc. During its administration, artesunate can be loaded in liposomes, alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents. Administration routes include intragastrical, intravenous, oral, and parenteral. The biological activity of artesunate is based on its ability to regulate some biological pathways. This manuscript reports a critical review of the recent advances in the therapeutic efficacy of artesunate.

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-(4,4-dimethyl-1,3-oxazolyl))phenyl]ethylene to the -terminus of the -bis(oxazolyl) polystyrene derivative, without the isolation and purification of the polymeric precursor. -Bis(carboxyl) and , -tetrakis(carboxyl) polystyrene derivatives were obtained by the quantitative chemical transformation of the oxazoline groups of the respective aromatic oxazolyl chain-end-functionalized polystyrene derivatives to the aromatic carboxyl groups. The organic precursor compounds, the dioxazolyl-functionalized 1,1-diphenylethylene derivative and the functionalized polymers were characterized using 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size-exclusion and thin-layer chromatography and non-aqueous titration measurements.