ProductDescription
Camptothecin(CPT)isapotentDNAenzymetopoisomeraseI(topoI)inhibitor.
CPTwasdiscoveredin1966byM.E.WallandM.C.Waniinsystematicscreeningofnaturalproductsforanticancerdrugs.ItwasisolatedfromthebarkandstemofCamptothecaacuminata(Camptotheca,Happytree),atreenativetoChinausedasacancertreatmentinTrADItionalChineseMedicine.CPTshowedremarkableanticanceractivityinpreliminaryclinicaltrialsbutalsolowsolubilityand(high)adversedrugreaction.BecauseofthesedisadvantagessyntheticandmedicinalchemistshavedevelopednumeroussynthesesofCamptothecinandvariousderivativestoincreasethebenefitsofthechemical,withgoodresults.TwoCPTanalogueshavebeenapprovedandareusedincancerchemotherapytoday,topotecanandirinotecan.