Pharmacodynamics of Boronic Acids and Boronates.

After 70 years of exploration in the synthesis and activity of boronic acids, synthetic boron-containing compounds (BBCs) have shown biological activity in vitro and in vivo, and some of them are currently used as drugs in humans.In this chapter, we describe the main advances in understanding the mechanisms of action of boronic acids and boronates. As the development of potential drugs in this category expands, some aspects are well understood from the current drugs. Moreover, the initial development of the marketed compounds is summarized and presented, along with the recent progress supporting their role as drugs. Additionally, the known and potential applications of these compounds in the treatment of human diseases are discussed.