Sulfonamides a Promising Hit for Cancer Therapy Through VEGFR-2 Inhibition

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), a tyrosine kinase receptor (TKR), plays a crucial role in angiogenesis and is overexpressed in most cancers. It is important for tumor angiogenesis, facilitating essential angiogenic cellular processes, such as promoting endothelial cell survival, proliferation, migration, and vascular permeability. Consequently, VEGFR-2 has become one of the main targets for anti-angiogenic therapy, with its inhibition serving as a crucial strategy for developing new drugs to mitigate angiogenesis-dependent cancers. Small-molecule drugs targeting VEGFR-2, approved by the USFDA, are exhibiting the development of drug resistance during chemotherapy, with cardiac-related side effects being consistently reported. In conclusion, it is important to develop novel strategies to enhance the efficacy of VEGFR-2 inhibitors and eliminate their adverse effects. Multifunctional drugs that target multiple pathways present a promising strategy, enhancing efficacy while minimizing side effects. Sulfonamide derivatives are extensively used in medicinal chemistry and modern drug discovery due to their variety of pharmacological activities. The present review focuses on novel compounds endowed with potential VEGFR-2 inhibition, four of which additionally present carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity.