From Nucleic Acids to Drug Discovery: Nucleobases as Emerging Templates for Drug Candidates

Nucleobases represent key structural motifs in biologically active molecules, including synthetic and natural products. Molecular modifications made on nucleobases or their isolation from natural sources are being widely investigated for the development of drugs with improved potency for the treatment of different diseases, such as cancer, as well as viral and bacterial infections. This review article focuses on the nucleobase analogue drug developments of the past 20 years (2000-2020). Various pharmacological and medicinal aspects of nucleobases and their analogues are discussed. The current state and limitations are also highlighted.