title: Artemisinin-Derived Dimers: Potent Antimalarial and Anticancer Agents.
abstract: The development of new efficient therapeutics for the treatment of malaria and cancer is an important endeavor. Over the past 15 years, much attention has been paid to the synthesis of dimeric structures, which combine two units of artemisinin, as lead compounds of interest. A wide variety of atemisinin-derived dimers containing different linkers demonstrate improved properties compared to their parent compounds (e.g., circumventing multidrug resistance), making the dimerization concept highly compelling for development of efficient antimalarial and anticancer drugs. The present Perspective highlights recent developments on different types of artemisinin-derived dimers and their structural and functional features. Particular emphasis is put on the respective in vitro and in vivo studies, exploring the role of the length and nature of linkers on the activities of the dimers, and considering the future prospects of the dimerization concept for drug discovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Henkestrasse 42, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fröhlich
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Henkestrasse 42, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Çapcı Karagöz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Henkestrasse 42, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry Chair I and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials (ICMM), University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Henkestrasse 42, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Svetlana B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tsogoeva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019281:Dimerization; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: C503429:1,2,4-trioxane; D000962:Antimalarials; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D037621:Artemisinins; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; C031327:artemisinin