Sustainable Synthesis of Pyrazole Derivatives: Recent Advances in Anticancer Drug Discovery

Cancer is one of the top causes of death worldwide, necessitating the urgent development of safer and more effective therapeutic medicines. Pyrazole has emerged as a preferred heterocyclic scaffold in medicinal chemistry due to its broad biological activities and exceptional anticancer potential. Several pyrazole-containing medicines have previously acquired regulatory approval for cancer treatment, demonstrating the scaffold’s clinical relevance. However, traditional synthesis methods for pyrazole derivatives frequently use toxic chemicals, hazardous solvents, high energy consumption, and unfriendly environmental conditions. Green chemistry provides sustainable approaches that reduce environmental impact while increasing synthetic efficiency. The article highlights the latest advances in the green synthesis of pyrazole derivatives with anticancer activity, microwave-assisted synthesis, one-pot multicomponent reactions, ultrasound reaction, iron and magnetic nano catalysis reactions, and the use of sustainable catalysts and solvents. The molecular targets and modes of action of the synthesized compounds’ anticancer activity against a variety of cancer cell lines, including colorectal, lung, breast, liver, and cervical malignancies, are described. epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are important cancer-related targets that were significantly inhibited by a number of drugs that demonstrated strong cytotoxicity. The results show that green synthesis methods offer effective, sustainable, and financially feasible pathways for the creation of new pyrazole-based anticancer drugs, assisting upcoming initiatives in the search for environmentally friendly anticancer drugs.