title: Camptothecin and its analogues: a review on their chemotherapeutic potential.
abstract: Topoisomerase I (Topo-I) is a major target for anticancer drug discovery and design. As a result, Topo-I inhibitors constitute an important class of the current anticancer drugs. To date, all of the Topo-I inhibitors that have been clinically evaluated are analogues of camptothecin (CPT), an extract of the Chinese tree Camptotheca acuminata. CPT has shown significant antitumor activity to lung, ovarian, breast, pancreas and stomach cancers. In this article the, phytochemical aspect, and various structural modifications are comprehensively reviewed as in rings A, B, C, D and E. Biological activity of camptothecin, other than anticancer, reported till the year 2003 has also been discussed.
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Pharmacy Group, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 333 031, India. dsriram@bits-pilani.ac.in
authors.forename: Dharmarajan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sriram
authors.forename: Perumal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yogeeswari
authors.forename: Rathinasabapathy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thirumurugan
authors.forename: Tanushree Ratan
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D002166:Camptothecin