Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry

Next-Generation Steroids: Cutting-Edge Medicinal Chemistry, Innovative Strategies, and Emerging Therapeutic Applications

Steroids have represented a unique source of inspiration for medicinal and synthetic chemists for more than a century. The “never-ending story” of steroids began in the late 19th century and reached a pivotal moment in the 1950s, when the efficacy of cortisone in alleviating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms ignited a scientific revolution. This discovery paved the way for the development of steroid-based anti-inflammatory blockbuster drugs and established steroids as foundational pharmacophores in drug discovery.

Nearly ninety years after these milestones, steroid research continues to captivate the scientific community with novel therapeutic applications. Their intricate physio-pathological roles, from nuclear receptor modulation to enzyme inhibition and metabolic regulation, still pose important challenges and offer exciting opportunities for innovation. Therefore, a new generation of scientists is now striving to elucidate the complexity of steroid structure–activity relationships and unlock their multifaceted therapeutic potential.

Given these considerations, this Article Collection aims to showcase cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews on the design, synthesis, targets modulation, and pharmacological evaluation of steroid-based agents. Particular attention will be devoted to new chemical strategies, innovative synthetic methodologies, emerging biological targets, and translational medicinal chemistry approaches that advance the field.

Proposed Subtopics (include, but are not limited to):

• Anti-cancer steroids: cytotoxic agents, steroidogenesis inhibitors, steroidal selective hormone receptors down-regulators/degraders and PROTAC-based approach
• Chemical biology and mechanistic studies of steroidal compounds
• Computational and AI-driven approaches in steroid medicinal chemistry
• Innovative synthetic methodologies for complex steroid frameworks
• Metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profiling of steroidal agents
• Multi-target strategies in steroidal medicinal chemistry
• Natural steroids with therapeutic potential: from plants to marine organisms
• Neuroactive steroids: design, biological evaluation, and applications
• Novel steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Steroidal agents with antiviral activity
• Steroidal derivatives for metabolic disorders

Please submit your manuscript on our website, using the promo code IENZ-2026-C41420 for 10% off the advertised article processing charge and selecting the corresponding Article Collection title in the drop-down menu through the submission process to indicate that your manuscript will be considered for the “Next-Generation Steroids: Cutting-Edge Medicinal Chemistry, Innovative Strategies, and Emerging Therapeutic Applications” Collection.

Please contact Haoyang Yi (Commissioning Editor) at [email protected] with any queries regarding this Article Collection.

Guest Advisor

Prof. Bruno Cerra

Dr. Bruno Cerra is an Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Perugia, Italy. His research focuses on drug discovery, multistep synthesis, flow chemistry, and the development of biologically active steroids and bile acids. He has served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry.