Boronic acids in medicinal chemistry: Anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral applications

In 2003, bortezomib, a first-in-class therapeutic, gained approval from the US Federal Drug Administration for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. Approval in the UK, for multiple myeloma, followed in 2006. Bortezomib contains a boronic acid, a functional group that has become increasingly more commonplace within the medicinal chemistry literature. The introduction of this drug has sparked a renewed interest in the investigation of boronic acids as drugs for a wide range of diseases. This review will guide the reader through the most recent developments in this field, by considering in turn, the biological target's amenable to the action of boronic acids.