title: Cryptophycin anticancer drugs revisited.
abstract: A recent publication reveals the biosynthetic building blocks, genetic code, and broad substrate tolerance of the enzymes of the cryptophycin biosynthetic pathway. This work lays the foundation for the production of poorly accessible yet very promising members of this family of anticancer compounds from lichen cyanobacterial symbionts. Chemoenzymatic production or precursor-directed biosynthesis might bring candidates from this family of natural products back to clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 725 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0082, USA. jrohr2@email.uky.edu
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rohr
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D047630:Depsipeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D015195:Drug Design; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000235:genetics; D005810:Multigene Family; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047630:Depsipeptides; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; C088419:cryptophycin