Recent Development of Fluoroquinolone Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world following cardiovascular disease. Its treatment, including radiation therapy and surgical removal of the tumour, is based on pharmacotherapy, which prompts a constant search for new and more effective drugs. There are high costs associated with designing, synthesising, and marketing new substances. Drug repositioning is an attractive solution. Fluoroquinolones make up a group of synthetic antibiotics with a broad spectrum of activity in bacterial diseases. Moreover, those compounds are of particular interest to researchers as a result of reports of their antiproliferative effects on the cells of the most lethal cancers. This article presents the current progress in the development of new fluoroquinolone derivatives with potential anticancer and cytotoxic activity, as well as structure–activity relationships, along with possible directions for further development.