b-Carboline, ap rivileged scaffold in the alkaloid family,h as ab road spectrum of medicinal properties and is found in severalc ommercial drugs, such as tadalafil, cipargamin, anda becarnil. Owing to the immense pharmacological importance of b-carboline derivatives, their synthesis has been one of the frontier areas of research in recent years. In this context,1 (3)-formyl-9H-b-carbolines are promising "aldo-X" bifunctional building blocks (AXB3s) that offer alternate avenues for the diversity-oriented synthesis of b-carboline derivatives. This Focus Review is an assimilation of recent literature (2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017) pertaining to the synthesis and applicationso f1 (3)-formyl-b-carbolines for the construction of b-carboline-tethered and -fused moleculara rchitectures. In addition, the medicinal potential of b-carboline derivatives has been highlighted.