Current Medicinal Chemistry

Journal Impact Factor: 3.5
Scopus Cite Score: 7.7
Aims and Scope:
Current Medicinal Chemistry covers all the latest and outstanding developments in the field of medicinal chemistry. It also includes topics related to quantitative structure-function relationships, drug absorption, drug distribution, drug metabolism, new and emerging drug targets, pharmacogenomics, drug discovery toxicology, high-throughput screening, combinatorial chemistry, structural characterization and organic syntheses of naturally occurring compounds, as well as chemical and analytical techniques used in rational drug design. Each issue incorporates a series of timely in-depth/mini-reviews and guest-edited thematic issues written by leaders in the field covering a range of the current topics in medicinal chemistry. The journal also publishes reviews on recent patents.
Current Medicinal Chemistry is an essential journal for every medicinal chemist who wishes to be informed and up-to-date with the latest and most important developments relevant to their field.
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Editor-in-Chief:

  • Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS
    Honorary Life Fellow
    King’s College
    University of Cambridge
    Cambridge
    United Kingdom

ISSN: 0929-8673 (Print)

eISSN: 1875-533X (Online)

Special Issues With Active Call for Papers

Submission closes on: Oct 03, 2026
Sustainable Molecular Design for Health and Economy: New Directions in Medicinal Chemistry

The evolving landscape of medicinal chemistry is increasingly influenced by the urgent need to reconcile human health priorities with sustainability imperatives and economic feasibility. While drug discovery and therapeutic development pipelines lead to substantive scientific outcomes, they nonetheless remain disproportionately resource-intensive, environmentally taxing, and financially enclosed. In response to these requirements, this themed issue entitled "Sustainable Molecular Design for Health and Economy: New Directions in Medicinal Chemistry" offers a collection of works intended to showcase... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. DIVYA TRIPATHY
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Approaches to the Treatment of Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of numerous diseases, significantly impacting global health. Although chronic inflammation is a hot topic, not much has been written about approaches to its treatment. This thematic issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in chronic inflammation treatment and foster discussion on future directions in this critical field. We encourage submissions exploring a wide range of topics, such as disease prevention through inflammation reduction, including the gut microbiome, and lifestyle interventions.... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Vladimir Rogovskii
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Pathological mechanisms of acute diseases and pharmacological intervention

The recognition of and response to potentially life-threatening acute diseases such as acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute myocardial infarction, acute cerebral ischemia, acute nephritic syndrome, infectious diseases and others, is of increasing concern. The majority of therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes have been unsuccessful so far, highlighting the necessity for further research and development of novel effective treatments. This thematic issue focuses on the current advances of studies on the pathological mechanisms of... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Yunhao Wu
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Repurposing Central Nervous System (CNS) Drugs as Chemotherapeutic Agents.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous reports indicated that the infection found apparent resistance within the hospitalized psychiatric population. Thus, the hypothesis was formulated that some psychiatric drugs might be endowed with antiviral activity. This thematic issue welcomes collections of both original and review papers highlighting the drug repurposing landscape regarding CNS agents as a strategy to identify new chemotherapeutics. see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. G. Lentini
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Serge Mignani,Dr. Maria Maddalena Cavalluzzi
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Chalcogen-modified nucleic acid analogues

Chalcogen-modified nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonucleotides have been of great interest to scientific research for many years. The replacement of oxygen in the nucleobase, sugar or phosphate backbone by chalcogen atoms (sulfur, selenium, tellurium) gives these biomolecules unique properties resulting from their altered physical and chemical properties. The continuing interest in such modified nucleic acid analogues reflects the ongoing exploration of their numerous applications in various scientific disciplines, from fundamental studies on the structure and function... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Katarzyna Kulik
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Barbara Nawrot
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Exploring New Targets against Neglected Tropical Diseases and Other Parasites

Neglected tropical diseases are a group of infectious diseases that affect a large part of the world's population. These diseases mainly affect people who live in poverty and without basic sanitation, causing severe damage to their health. Diseases caused by Trypanosomatids, such as Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, and leishmaniasis, are among the main ones related to higher mortality rates, especially in Latin America, Africa, and several regions of Asia. In addition, viral diseases such as... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Igor J. Dos Santos Nascimento
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
New Strategies for Targeting Regulated Cell Death Signals in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury-Related Diseases: New Findings and Mechanism Research

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) occurs during reperfusion after ischemia, which not only fails to restore tissue and organ function, but rather exacerbates tissue damage, and occurs in a wide range of organs and tissues, including the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, and retina. I/R injury involves a variety of pathological processes, such as regulated cell death (apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, and PANoptosis), oxidative stress, inflammatory response, excitotoxicity, and calcium overload. Significantly, prevention and treatment of I/R injury... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Weitao Yan
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Kun Xiong
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Immunotherapy, Gene Therapy and Big Data Analysis in Burns, Trauma and Cosmetic Surgery.

In the domains of burn, trauma, and plastic surgery, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and big data analysis are demonstrating tremendous potential and application prospects. Patients with burns and traumas frequently encounter severe tissue damage and immune system disorders. Immunotherapy aims to facilitate tissue repair and restoration by modulating the immune system. Gene therapy offers a novel approach to rectifying genetic deficiencies and promoting cell regeneration. Additionally, big data analysis plays a crucial role in these fields.... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Peng Wang
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Yingjun Su,Dr. Zexin Zhang
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Non-Infectious Inflammatory Diseases: Focus on Clinical Implications

The Special Issue covers the results of the studies on cellular and molecular mechanisms of non-infectious inflammatory diseases, in particular, autoimmune rheumatic diseases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and other age-related disorders such as type II diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, etc. Review and research articles as well as methodology papers that summarize and investigate the pathogenesis and clinical implications of various physiological processes, pathology and disease associated with chronic inflammation are welcome. Chronic inflammation is a key... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Igor A. Sobenin
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Tatiana Kirichenko
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Cutting-Edge Approaches in Kinase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Computational Insights

This thematic issue is dedicated to exploring cutting-edge approaches in the design, synthesis, and computational analysis of kinase inhibitors, including classical, allosteric, and covalent modulators. The focus will be on innovative methodologies that drive forward the development of these inhibitors through advanced chemical synthesis techniques, detailed mechanistic studies, and computational modeling. Contributions will highlight how these integrated approaches can optimize inhibitor design, improve selectivity, predict drug interactions, and overcome resistance. The issue aims to provide... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Ismail Celik
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Ulviye Acar Çevik,Dr. Onur Bender
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Innate Immunity Disorders in Non-Infectious Inflammatory Diseases

Inflammation accompanies all human diseases. Undoubtedly, the inflammatory response is vital for eliminating foreign microorganisms from body tissues and fluids. Also, the immune system is able to recognize and remove not only the infection, but also its own molecules and cells, which for any reason may threaten the health of the body. These include destroyed cells, cancer cells, apoptotic bodies, as well as modified molecules, such as modified low-density lipoproteins, amyloids, lipofuscin and many others.... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Nikita Nikiforov
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Nikolay K. Shakhpazyan
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Clinical and Computational Analysis of Variants Associated with Rare Genetic Disorders

This thematic issue focuses on integrating clinical insights and computational techniques in the study of genetic variants linked to rare genetic disorders. Rare diseases, while individually uncommon, collectively affect millions of people worldwide, making their understanding and diagnosis critical to personalized medicine. Advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics tools have revolutionized the identification and interpretation of genetic variants, offering new opportunities for early diagnosis and targeted therapies. However, the challenge lies in distinguishing pathogenic... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Muhammad Umair
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Yasinalli Tamboli,Dr. Qamre Alam,Dr. Muhammad Younus
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Organ injury, Protection and Interactions: Novel Targets, Drugs and Mechanisms.

Over 300 million surgical procedures are performed worldwide annually, with numbers steadily increasing. Current data indicate that postoperative deaths constitute 7.7% of global mortality, making it the third leading cause of death worldwide. Perioperative organ protection and management are crucial for reducing postoperative complications and organ injury. Anesthetists, surgeons, and researchers work collaboratively to mitigate the incidence of perioperative organ injury. Recently, a growing body of basic research has focused on perioperative organ protection and... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Xiaoqiang Wang
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Guojun Qian,Dr. Fuyi Shen
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Network pharmacology, and/or Mendelian randomization in the discovery of disease mechanisms in drug treatment.

Based on large-scale data and computer technology, network pharmacology explores the interaction network between drug molecules and molecules in vivo, such as targets, pathways, genes, and proteins, as well as the effects of these interactions on drug efficacy, toxicity, metabolism, etc. It provides more accurate and efficient solutions in drug research and development, drug treatment, drug reuse, etc. In the context of precision medicine, the development of targeted drugs is a hot topic. However, finding... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Haixiong Lin
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Plant-Derived Products with Central Nervous System Activity

The special issue focuses on reports presenting results from studies showing the psychotropic potential of plants and, more specifically, substances that are derived from plants or inspired by flora (derivatives or analogs of substances found in nature). Substances with anti-neuroinflammatory, anti-neurodegenerative, anti-dementia, procognitive, anti-depressive, and anxiolytic activity are in the scope of interest. The results of the tested substances from preclinical experiments (preferably, in vivo) and, especially, clinical trials are welcome. Only the studies that... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Dagmara Wróbel-Biedrawa
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Integrating In Silico Drug Design and Predictive ADMET Modeling: From Virtual Screening to In Vivo Outcomes

In the dynamic landscape of drug discovery and development, the marriage between computational methods and traditional experimental approaches has revolutionized the field. In silico drug design, bolstered by predictive ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) modeling, has emerged as a cornerstone in the quest for novel therapeutics. The synergy between these disciplines holds immense promise, offering a streamlined pathway from virtual screening to in vivo outcomes. Harnessing the power of computational algorithms, researchers can... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Edgar Marquez Brazon
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Yovanni Marrero-Ponce,Dr. José R. Mora,Dr. Guillermo Aguero-Chapin,Dr. Virginia Flores-Morales
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Cutting-Edge Developments in Medicinal Chemistry: Innovative Research and Emerging Therapeutics Bridging Basic Science and Clinical Applications

The synergy between basic scientific research and clinical applications has become increasingly evident in medicinal chemistry in recent years. This dynamic interplay is driving unprecedented advancements, transforming our understanding of disease mechanisms and accelerating the development of innovative therapies. Foundational discoveries in molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and related fields provide the essential building blocks for understanding disease mechanisms at a molecular level, paving the way for the identification of new drug targets and the design... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Jinwei Zhang
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Esmaeil Babaei
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
NEW FRONTIERS IN CANCER TREATMENT.

Although great progress has been made in tumor treatment, unfortunately, many cancer patients show resistance to current antitumor therapies and, in fact, the disease caused 10 million deaths in 2020. This means that in addition to the current antitumor therapies used in clinical practice, the search for new anticancer therapeutic strategies is urgently needed. Tumor cell proliferation, invasion/metastasis, and angiogenesis are crucial mechanisms in tumor progression that must be understood in-depth to explore and develop... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Rafael Coveñas
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Peptide-Drug Conjugates: A New Innovative Path for the Approaching Generation of Biotherapeutics

Medicinal chemists have created a hybrid family of bio-conjugates known as peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), drawing on recent advancements in peptide science. These PDCs are drug delivery systems in which a medicament is covalently linked to a multi-functional peptide by a cleavable linker. Comparing these conjugates to peptides and small compounds employed independently, they demonstrate greater efficacy. Because of developments in modification chemistry and analytical technology over the past few decades, PDC development has advanced significantly.... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. David Paul
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Pavitra S. Thacker,Dr. Nagavendra Kommineni,Dr. Shiladitya Chattopadhyay,Dr. Gatadi Srikanth,Dr. Sahnawaz Ahmed,Dr. Anil Kumar Kalvala
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Current Advances and Future Perspectives of Small Molecule Targeted Therapy in Cancer Treatment

Nowadays, small molecule targeted therapy has emerged as a promising avenue for the treatment of cancer, offering the potential for enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity compared to traditional chemotherapy. Targeted small-molecule drugs specifically act on key molecules involved in cancer progression to interfere with specific signaling pathways that drive tumor growth and survival, thereby offering a more precise and personalized approach to cancer treatment. Currently, a range of small molecules have been approved for targeted... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Renhao Xue
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Computational modeling of potential targets and lead screening against Monkeypox viruses

As Monkeypox (Mpox) has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a "Public health emergency of international concern" and an important public health alarm by several medical organizations and agencies, it is essential to undertake research and identify potential ideas and foundations to tackle this concern before the emergence of another pandemic post covid. Drug discovery and development are a time-consuming complex protocol, and developing innovative ideas and computational prototypes is an important... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Sinosh Skariyachan
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Drug Discovery from Natural Products (In-Silico, In-Vitro and In-Vivo)

The use of In-silico technologies for drug discovery began in the early 2000s with applications such as predicting ADMET, bacterial mutagenicity, hERG inhibition, molecular docking and in-depth docking simulations. The field has been continuously expanding ever since and the tasks at hand have become more complex and led to the development of a wide range of different methods and applications. Before any molecule enters for drug formulation in the pharmaceutical or clinical trials field, it... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Syed Shams ul Hassan
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Advances in Medicinal Chemistry: From Cancer to Chronic Diseases.

The broad spectrum of the issue will provide a comprehensive overview of emerging trends, novel therapeutic interventions, and translational insights that impact modern medicine. The primary focus will be diseases of global concern, including cancer, chronic pain, metabolic disorders, and autoimmune conditions, providing a broad overview of the advancements in medicinal chemistry. see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Geir Bjørklund
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Marina Kriajevska,Dr. Yuliya Semenova
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Revolutionizing Antimicrobial Drug Discovery: Harnessing AI for Compound Screening.

In the relentless pursuit of combating antimicrobial resistance, a groundbreaking AI-based screening system emerges as a pivotal tool in revolutionizing drug discovery. Traditional methods, plagued by their sluggish pace and exorbitant costs, stand overshadowed by this innovative approach to expedite the identification of potent antimicrobial compounds. This proposal, with the power of machine learning and computational methodologies, carefully analyzes extensive datasets of chemical structures and biological activities. By skillfully utilizing advanced algorithms like support vector... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Debashis Dutta
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Rajesh Kumar Kesarwani,Dr. Prashant Kumar,Dr. Dheeraj Chitara
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Targeting the Kinome: Exploring Inhibitors and Degraders for Therapeutic Intervention

The burgeoning field of kinase-targeted therapies has witnessed significant advancements in recent years, propelled by the discovery and development of inhibitors and degraders that selectively modulate kinase activity. This thematic issue seeks to delve into the diverse landscape of strategies employed in targeting the kinome, spanning from traditional kinase inhibitors to emerging approaches centered on protein degradation. Contributions encompassing original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and commentaries are encouraged to provide a comprehensive overview of the... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Solomon Tadesse
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Current advances in inherited cardiomyopathy

This thematic issue will aim to describe in detail all novel advances in multimodality imaging related to inherited cardiomyopathy diagnosis and prognosis. Particularly relevant would be conditions such as non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. It will shed light on deeper phenotypic characterization by means of advanced fibrosis texture analysis quantification, gray zone fibrosis analysis, and artificial intelligence-based ones. Acknowledge recent advances in genetics, genomics and precision medicine in the above-mentioned conditions. see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Emmanuel S. Androulakis
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Machine Learning Approaches for Understanding Cancer Drug Resistance, Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy

Although many patients initially respond positively to chemotherapy or targeted therapy, resistance often develops, leading to treatment failure and disease progression. Cancer drug resistance remains a significant challenge in modern oncology, and understanding the underlying mechanisms of resistance is crucial for developing strategies to overcome this phenomenon. Another rapidly evolving field in cancer treatment research is immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells. However, the success of... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Weiqi Dai
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Weijie Sun
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
The Roles of Metalloenzymes in Caner Progression and Theranostics

Metalloproteinases are proteases with metal ions in their active centers and they interact with metal ions via their metal-binding domains containing amino acid residues arginine, lysine, aspartate, glutamate, and histidine. Currently, more than 50 families of metalloproteinases have been found and they are involved in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes via facilitating matrix degradation, regulating blood pH, and mediating gene transcription. In particular, numerous metalloproteinases are able to directly or indirectly regulate... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Guan-Jun Yang
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Novel Combination Therapy and Personalized Therapeutic Strategies in Cancer: From Comprehensive Treatment to Precision Treatment

In recent years, with traditional cancer treatments, for most malignant tumors, it is difficult to achieve the best therapeutic effect by any single means. To maximize the benefit of patients, tumor treatment has entered the era of comprehensive and individualized treatment. Comprehensive treatment of cancer is not a simple combination of surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiotherapy, immunity, and other means, but a multidisciplinary collaborative diagnosis and treatment model according to evidence-based medical evidence. Individualized treatment... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Shigao Huang
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Rational Design of Newly Synthesized, Repurposed, and Nature-Isolated Biometabolites as Multi-Target Directed Ligands (MTDLs) for Cancer Treatment: Biological and Computational Approaches

This issue covers comprehensive insights regarding the rational design of multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) for cancer management, encompassing both biological and computational approaches. MTDLs offer a promising strategy to overcome the limitations of single-target drugs by simultaneously modulating multiple molecular pathways involved in cancer development and progression. The issue focuses on the principles of MTDL design, including multi-target identification and selection, lead generation and optimization, and physicochemical property assessment. Additionally, the issue will highlight recent advances... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Ahmed A. Al-Karmalawy
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Ayman Abo Elmaaty,Dr. Khaled M. Darwish,Dr. Saad Shaaban
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Submission closes on: Dec 31, 2025
Drug Design and Discovery driven by Artificial Intelligence

Drug design and discovery driven by artificial intelligence technology is an emerging hot topic in modern drug development in recent years. This emerging field holds tremendous potential to revolutionize the process of drug design and accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic compounds. By leveraging AI techniques, such as machine learning, deep learning, and data mining, researchers can harness vast amounts of biomedical data and computational power to augment traditional drug discovery approaches. This thematic issue... see more

Impact Factor: 3.5
Guest Editor(s): Dr. Huanxiang Liu
Co-Guest Editor(s): Dr. Qianqian Zhang
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