6,341
Views
49
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review Article

DNA topoisomerases as molecular targets for anticancer drugs

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 1781-1799 | Received 07 Jul 2020, Accepted 02 Sep 2020, Published online: 25 Sep 2020
 

Abstract

The significant role of topoisomerases in the control of DNA chain topology has been confirmed in numerous research conducted worldwide. The prevalence of these enzymes, as well as the key importance of topoisomerase in the proper functioning of cells, have made them the target of many scientific studies conducted all over the world. This article is a comprehensive review of knowledge about topoisomerases and their inhibitors collected over the years. Studies on the structure–activity relationship and molecular docking are one of the key elements driving drug development. In addition to information on molecular targets, this article contains details on the structure–activity relationship of described classes of compounds. Moreover, the work also includes details about the structure of the compounds that drive the mode of action of topoisomerase inhibitors. Finally, selected topoisomerases inhibitors at the stage of clinical trials and their potential application in the chemotherapy of various cancers are described.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was financed from the European Union funds [project № POWR.03.02.00–00-I051/16–00] under grant [Grant № 02/IMSD/G/2019].