Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 25, Issue 18, 2025

Ruthenium complexes stand out as an excellent alternative in the field of organometallic chemistry with applications in various areas. Recently, in cardiovascular pharmacology, there has been a growing interest in investigating complexes that modulate the Nitric Oxide (NO) pathway without necessarily and directly donating NO. NO has a proven vasodilatory and cardioprotective effect, and it is known that reduced levels are associated with an increased risk of CardioVascular Diseases (CVD). Studies suggest that ruthenium complexes significantly contribute to the treatment of CVD pathophysiology through different pharmacological mechanisms, including the precise delivery of carbon monoxide (CO) to the molecular target, the release of nitric oxide species under visible and invisible (UV) light, the ability to stimulate the activation of soluble Guanylate Cyclase (sGC) enzyme, participation in the opening of potassium channels, and reduction of cytoplasmic calcium levels. This study aims to conduct a narrative review of the cardiovascular effects of ruthenium complexes, focusing on hypertension and myocardial injury, and demonstrate that metal complexes acting on the NO pathway may have promising targets for the development of therapeutic strategies in CVD treatment.

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide, with increasing toxicity and resistance to current therapies posing a serious challenge to healthcare systems. The urgent demand for more effective and safer treatments has highlighted coumarin, a naturally occurring compound with a unique ring structure, due to its promising potential in combating breast cancer. Over the past three decades, numerous synthetic coumarin derivatives have been developed to enhance therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of 18 reported coumarin-based compounds, focusing on their design strategies, mechanisms of action, and structure-activity relationships (SAR). Molecular docking studies targeting key enzymes, including tyrosine kinases, topoisomerases, and serine/threonine kinases, were examined to evaluate binding affinities and interaction patterns. Substitutions at the 3- and 6-positions of the coumarin scaffold were found to impact target binding significantly. Critical interactions, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and hydrophobic contacts, were correlated with experimental anticancer activities, offering valuable insights into ligand-protein complex stabilization. Overall, the analysis underscores the potential of coumarin derivatives as promising leads for the rational design of novel anticancer agents with improved efficacy and selectivity.

The urinary tract (UT) was once considered sterile, but now it is known to host a diverse community of microorganisms, known as the urinary microbiome. The collective microbiota is made up of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, necessary for maintaining UT health. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the urinary microbiome and clarify its emerging role as a key modulator in both health and a wide spectrum of UT disorders. Dysbiosis within this microbial community has been linked to conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), urinary incontinence, urolithiasis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and even urinary tract malignancies. Advances in methodologies, such as expanded quantitative urine culture and metagenomics, have provided valuable insights into microbial variability influenced by factors like age, sex, and disease conditions. Additionally, this review explores the therapeutic potential of probiotics and bacteriophages, as well as the association of urinary microbiota with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Special emphasis is placed on translational relevance, including emerging microbiome-targeted therapies and personalized interventions for UTIs. Ethical considerations allied with UT microbiome research, such as data privacy, informed consent, and equitable access to emerging therapies, are also discussed. Despite substantial progress, challenges such as methodological heterogeneity, a lack of longitudinal data, and unresolved causal relationships persist. The study concludes by identifying key knowledge gaps and proposing future directions for multidisciplinary research to advance therapeutic innovation in urological health.

Magnetic liposomes (MLs) are hybrid nanovesicles that combine the biocompatibility of lipid bilayers with the remote controllability of superparamagnetic nanoparticles. To the best of our knowledge, no prior review has systematically covered the literature on MLs published between 2020 and 2024, with a special focus on continuous‐flow microfluidic synthesis. Here, we consolidate and critically assess recent advances in MLs’ structural design, highlight remaining challenges, and propose future directions for clinical translation. MLs, as one of the types of biomimetic magnetic nanovesicles, are considered promising nanocarriers for biomedical applications. These applications include active drug targeting to specific tissues, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic hyperthermia, controlled release, and other applications. This review aims to comprehensively classify current knowledge on the main structural types of MLs and their traditional (batch) and modern (continuous‐flow) synthesis methods. The current advantages and potential challenges of microfluidics-based MLs synthesis are described. Detailed information on the variants of microfluidics-based techniques is provided, along with examples and potential biomedical applications. For the main aspects of MLs synthesis and applications, schematic illustrations are provided. Finally, an outlook on the perspectives of further MLs development and applications is presented.