Histone deacetylases (HDACs) could regulate gene expression, arrest the cell cycle, alter epigenetics, promote angiogenesis, and evade cancer cell survival and apoptosis. HDAC inhibitors could act on cancer cells through multiple mechanisms, primarily by regulating gene expression, inducing cell-cycle arrest, promoting apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, enhancing the immune response, and modifying the epigenome, representing valuable chemical entities for cancer therapy. The benzamide derivatives can chelate with the zinc ion at the active site of HDACs, interact with the surrounding amino acid residues in the active site cavity of HDACs, and cause conformational changes in HDACs. Accordingly, benzamide derivatives are useful HDAC inhibitors, and the benzamide-containing HDAC inhibitors have the potential to demonstrate robust anticancer activity. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current scenario of benzamide-containing HDAC inhibitors with anticancer therapeutic potential developed since 2020 to facilitate further rational exploitation of more effective candidates.
Keywords: anticancer potential; benzamide; histone deacetylases; mechanisms of action; structure–activity relationship.
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