A Comprehensive Overview of the Therapeutic Potential of Pyrimidine Analogues in the Management of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most prevalent cause of cancer-related fatalities, and cancer is still one of the major causes of death globally. Although pyrimidine analogues can target abnormal cellular growth, they have demonstrated potential as therapeutic treatments for a variety of malignancies, including colon cancer. A vital nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic molecule, pyrimidine is an important target for cancer treatments since it is involved in the construction of DNA and RNA. Recent research has investigated the synthesis and assessment of a number of pyrimidine derivatives, demonstrating their capacity to block particular enzymes and pathways linked to the development of cancer. According to the review, a number of pyrimidine-based chemical families, such as 1H-pyrazolo, diarylpyrazolo, and bromo-pyrimidine derivatives, have shown strong anti-cancer properties in preclinical models, especially against lung and colon cancer cell lines. Moreover, these compounds' structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies show that changes made at important positions on the pyrimidine scaffold improve their anticancer efficacy. These findings highlight the significance of further study into pyrimidine analogues as promising candidates for cancer therapy.