Anticancer properties of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives (literature review)

Cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Statistical data show that more than 130,000 people in Ukraine receive this diagnosis as a sentence every year. Cancer can affect any organ and eventually the whole body. In most cases, cancer is a tumor affecting epithelial, mucous, muscle, fat, and bone tissues. Also, processes related to malignant formations can occur in the blood and lymph. The main mechanism that triggers the process of formation of neoplasms is a violation of growth and, accordingly, cell division. They begin to grow uncontrollably, multiply, and can also migrate, spreading to nearby tissue structures, and later degenerate into atypical (malignant) ones. Cancer is one of the most life-threatening diseases. Literature data show that more than 90 % of cancer patients die due to chronic metastases. Cancer therapy involves the use of drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer cells by affecting certain molecular structures involved in the growth, progression, and spread of cancer. The diversity of the use of means for cancer therapy, namely, hormone therapy, the use of angiogenesis inhibitors and apoptosis inducers, has provided scientists with various options for finding effective means to fight this disease. Aim. The aim of the work is the analysis and systematization of new data on the anticancer activity of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives and the selection of the most promising directions for further scientific research based on the results of the analysis. Materials and methods. The study employed various methods, including analysis, information search, bibliosemantic analysis, descriptive techniques, and generalization. Research materials primarily comprised literary sources containing information on the promising array of new biologically active compounds, particularly 1,2,4-triazole derivatives, known for their targeted anticancer properties. Results. A literature search was carried out, 1,2,4-triazole derivatives with antitumor activity were analysed, characterized and summarized. Based on the study of available information and conducting an information and patent search, it was established that the market of Ukraine is insufficiently saturated with 1,2,4-triazole-containing drugs with anticancer activity of domestic production. It was determined that the development of new effective drugs based on 1,2,4-triazole and potential drugs with clearly directed anticancer activity requires a systematic approach both in conducting synthetic tests and screening new compounds for further structural optimization of molecules. Conclusions. The analysis of scientific literature in recent years devoted to the study of the anticancer activity of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives convincingly proves the prospect of further research in this direction. Numerous publications indicate the possibility of constant improvement of molecules with regard to the presence of anticancer activity. Domestic and foreign authors have clearly and argumentatively proven the perspective of the scientific direction for the creation of new original drugs to combat various oncopathologies.