title: Biological activities of guanidine compounds, 2008 - 2012 update.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Compounds incorporating guanidine moiety have found many practical applications in diverse areas of chemistry, such as nucleophilic organocatalysis, anion recognition and coordination chemistry. Moreover, guanidine functional group is found in natural products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic ingredients produced by synthetic methods. Thus, knowledge of their biological activities and therapeutic uses is of utmost importance for researchers involved in drug discovery processes.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this review the authors highlight the continued development and therapeutic applications of newly synthesized guanidine-containing compounds including small peptides and peptidomimetics incorporating arginine. The review presents patents and patent applications filed in the years 2008 - 2012 with emphasis placed on new mechanisms of pharmacological action of guanidine derivatives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While guanidines are often thought of as strong organic bases and compounds hydrophilic in nature, over the last 4 years there has been an enormous increase in discovery of new promising lead structures with guanidine core, suitable for development of potential drugs acting at central nervous system, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-diabetic and chemotherapeutic agents as well as cosmetics.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Gdańsk, Department of Chemical Technology of Drugs, Al. Gen. Hallera 107, 80-416 Gdańsk, Poland. saczew@gumed.edu.pl
authors.forename: Franciszek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sączewski
authors.forename: Łukasz
authors.initials: Ł
authors.lastname: Balewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006146:Guanidines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010330:Patents as Topic; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D057786:Peptidomimetics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006146:Guanidines; D010455:Peptides; D057786:Peptidomimetics