title: Recent studies on natural products as anticancer agents.
abstract: Cancer will be the major cause of death in the 21st century and natural products should provide novel and more effective anticancer agents. This review deals with new natural molecules liable to become anticancer drugs, as well as recent specific strategies for a selective treatment of cancer. The introduction presents the current state of the art on anticancer research. Beside, in the following subheadings we summarize our research on cytotoxic natural quinone methide-triperpenes and their analogues. We also discuss our results on the anti-tumour promoting activity of natural naphthoquinones and their derivatives.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez 2. 38206. La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. agravelo@ull.es
authors.forename: Angel G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ravelo
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estévez-Braun
authors.forename: Haydee
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chávez-Orellana
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez-Sacau
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mesa-Siverio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D009285:Naphthoquinones; D014315:Triterpenes