(Benz)imidazoles

Imidazoles and (benz)imidazoles are molecular scaffolds frequently found in a variety of pharmaceutical and therapeutic agents. They exhibit distinctive features and can be identified as bioisosteres of amide bonds and indoles with additional sites for receptor interaction. This work provides an overview of advances in (benz)imidazole-based compounds in medicinal chemistry as anticancer, antibacterial, antitubercular, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, antiinflammatory, anti-Alzheimer, antihypertensive, and other medicinal agents. The structure–activity relationships of (benz)imidazole-based compounds and their optimization processes are summarized.