Boron-containing carbonic anhydrases inhibitors

Over the last decades, the medicinal chemistry of boron-based compounds has been extensively explored, designing valuable small molecule drugs to tackle diseases and conditions, such as cancer, infections, inflammatory and neurological disorders. Notably, boron has proven to also be a valuable element for the development of inhibitors of the metalloenzymes carbonic anhydrases (CAs), a class of drug targets with significant potential in medicinal chemistry. Incorporating boron into carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) can modulate the ligand ability to recognize the target and/or influence selectivity towards different CA isoforms, using the tail approach and boron-based tails. The electron-deficient nature of boron and its associated properties have also led to the discovery of novel zinc-binding CAIs, such as boronic acids and the benzoxaboroles, capable of inhibiting the CAs upon a Lewis acid-base mechanism of action. The present manuscript reviews the state-of-the-art of boron-based CAIs. As research in the applications of boron compounds in medicinal chemistry continues, it is anticipated that new boron-based CAIs will soon expand the current array of such compounds. However, further research is imperative to fully unlock the potential of boron-based CAIs and to advance them towards clinical applications.