Does the Oxazolidinone Derivatives Constitute a Functional Approach for Cancer Therapy?

In the last four decades, the emphasis was laid on the research of small organic molecules with potential anti-cancer activity. Linezolid was the first oxazolidinone derivative approved by FDA for MRSA treatment. Despite its major role in antimicrobial activity, these molecules display other properties, also serving as an antitumor agent. The importance of drug repurposing could be highlighted by the use of Oxazolidinone derivatives in pre-clinical studies, which are able to act through different pathways, such as partial agonist of transcription factor PPAR-γ, an inhibitor of key enzymes related to hormone-dependent disorders and even on sphingolipid metabolism as well. The purpose of this short review is to discuss the application of oxazolidinone derivatives as an antitumor agent by highlighting the most promising molecules studied by many research groups worldwide. Main biological activity against several tumor cell lines, including hematopoietic and solid cancer cell lines have been discussed. In addition, this study intends to report how different types of oxazolidinone derivatives can act as antitumor agents describing their distinct mechanisms of action based on their targets.