Covering: up to 2012 Steroids, a widespread class of natural organic compounds occurring in animals, plants and fungi, have shown great therapeutic value for a broad array of pathologies. The present overview is focused on the anticancer activity of steroids, which is very representative of a rich structural molecular diversity and ability to interact with various biological targets and pathways. This review encompasses the most relevant discoveries on steroid anticancer drugs and leads through the last decade and comprises 668 references.

Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, occurs abundantly in plants such asDioscorea alata,Smilax China,andTrigonella foenum graecum. This bioactive phytochemical not only is used as an important starting material for the preparation of several steroidal drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, but has revealed also high potential and interest in the treatment of various types of disorders such as cancer, hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, and several types of infections. Due to its pharmacological and industrial importance, several extraction and analytical procedures have been developed and applied over the years to isolate, detect, and quantify diosgenin, not only in its natural sources and pharmaceutical compositions, but also in animal matrices for pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological studies. Within these, HPLC technique coupled to different detectors is the most commonly analytical procedure described for this compound. However, other alternative methods were also published. Thus, the present review aims to provide collective information on the most recent pharmacological data on diosgenin and on the most relevant analytical techniques used to isolate, detect, and quantify this compound as well.

Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody selective for amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates. In June 2021, aducanumab became the first drug underlying the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under the accelerated approval pathway. The decision was based on the ability of aducanumab to remove Aβ plaques, without any evidence that the Aβ clearance is correlated with less cognitive or functional decline. This decision has generated a considerable debate in the scientific community, especially because the results from the two Phase 3 trials, EMERGE and ENGAGE, were divergent and, even after the post hoc analysis, the data were insufficient to prove aducanumab efficacy. Moreover, some researchers think that this approval will be an obstacle to the progress and also demonstrated concerns about aducanumab cost and its safety profile. The European Medicines Agency’s rejection of aducanumab in December 2021 just brought more controversy over FDA’s decision. Now, Biogen is designing the FDA’s required confirmatory study, named ENVISION, which should be complete in 2026. Despite the controversy, the aducanumab showed to affect downstream tau pathology, which could open doors for a combination therapy approach for AD (anti-tau and anti-amyloid drug). This review summarizes the clinical development of aducanumab until regulatory agencies’ decisions, the available trials data and the controversy over aducanumab approval for AD.

In recent years, the chemical potential of bismuth and bismuth compounds has been actively exploited. Bismuth salts are known for their low toxicity, making them potential valuable reagents for lar...