2-Aminopyrimidine in Anticancer Drug Discovery: A Bibliometric and Complementary Literature Analysis

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Abstract
2-Aminopyrimidine (2-AP)–based compounds have gained considerable attention for their anticancer potential, demonstrated by their ability to inhibit tumor growth across diverse malignancies in preclinical models, and several candidates have also progressed into the clinical management of patients with cancer. In this study, a bibliometric analysis was conducted using Scopus to evaluate the research landscape of 2-AP. Two complementary datasets were analyzed: a general dataset including 793 publications from 1990 to 2025, and a cancer-focused dataset including 81 publications from 2004 to 2025. Data were analyzed using VOSviewer to identify trends in publication output, research areas, and collaboration networks. The results revealed a significant increase in research output since 2004, with most studies concentrated in the fields of Chemistry (40.2%), Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (14.5%), and Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (14.2%). Enzymatic assays, X-ray crystallographic studies, and molecular docking approaches assessing the anticancer activities of 2-AP analogs have emerged as a key research focus. Geographically, China, India and the United States were identified as the most productive contributors. These findings highlight the increasing importance of the 2-AP scaffold as a structural motif for incorporation into novel molecules in the context of oncology drug development.

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