New Materials, Compounds and Applications

Pyrimidine-based derivatives are widely recognized for their diverse biological functions, which arise from their distinctive chemical structures and broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. Consequently, they have attracted sustained interest in the fields of heterocyclic chemistry and medicinal chemistry. From this perspective, the present article highlights innovative synthetic approaches to a wide range of pyrimidine-based compounds, emphasizing their therapeutic significance in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases and metabolic disorders, as well as recent advances in pharmacological research. The review discusses the development and application of pyrimidine derivatives as anti-tuberculosis and anti-inflammatory agents, alongside their emerging potential as antitumor compounds. In the context of the twenty-first century, the growing prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial infections, which pose a serious threat to global health, underscores the urgent need for novel antibacterial agents. Pyrimidine-containing compounds represent a promising class of candidates in this regard. Moreover, because the pyrimidine scaffold constitutes a key structural motif in many endogenous biomolecules, pyrimidine derivatives possess a strong ability to interact with genetic material, enzymes and other cellular biopolymers. Accordingly, this article provides a comprehensive overview of recent literature on the synthesis, biological evaluation and therapeutic applications of pyrimidine-based drugs. The presented material also summarizes literature data on clinically important pharmaceuticals derived from pyrimidine scaffolds, including Tegafur, Rilpivirine, Trimethoprim, Flucytosine, Iclaprim, Pralsetinib, Nilotinib, Imatinib, Brodimoprin and Eprizole, which are widely used in the treatment of infectious and non-infectious diseases, as well as in antibiotic, antitumor, antiviral, anticancer and anti-inflammatory therapies.