Compounds bearing urea and thiourea groups are often favored in drug research and development due to their potent anticancer activity. In this review; we discuss recently published articles on urea and thiourea compounds with anticancer activity through different pathways.

Abstract

Urea and thiourea moieties are of great interest in new drug discovery studies due to their different biological and medicinal activities. They have a wide range of applications not only in pharmaceutical chemistry but also in agricultural and veterinary products. They are important pharmacophore structures in the fight against cancer, a life-threatening disease with complex mechanisms. Currently, many anticancer agents used in treatment and many active molecules in drug research and development studies have these unique structures. Their ability to form hydrogen bonds with enzymes or receptors makes them promising candidates for future breakthroughs in cancer therapy. In this review, the literature published in the last five years with urea and thiourea structures exhibiting significant anticancer activity was examined. The synthesis and anticancer activity studies, mechanisms of action and structure–activity relationships (SARs) of these compounds were explained comparatively. Therefore, this review study will provide important guiding insights about urea and thiourea structures to researchers who will work on the development of new anticancer agents.