Current Scenario of Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives With In Vivo Antitumor Therapeutic Potential

Cancer, as a fatal metastatic disease, exerts a deep-seated and extensive influence on human health, impacting not just the physical condition of patients but also their psychological state and social lives. Hydroxamic acid derivatives, as exceptional histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, could regulate diverse cellular pathways, cause cell cycle arrest, and promote programmed cell death. Consequently, hydroxamic acid derivatives demonstrate significant efficacy in combating a wide range of cancers, including hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Moreover, diverse hydroxamic acid derivatives have already been applied in clinics or are currently undergoing clinical trials for cancer therapy, revealing that hydroxamic acid derivatives hold great promise as scaffolds for exploring novel anticancer agents. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the current scenario of hydroxamic acid derivatives with in vivo antitumor therapeutic potential, along with their metabolic profiles, pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity, and mechanisms of action, developed since 2020, to facilitate further rational design of safer and more potent candidates.