title: Natural product scaffolds as leads to drugs.
abstract: Numerous 'scaffolds' that have been identified in natural product structures have led to very significant numbers of approved drugs and drug candidates for a multiplicity of diseases over the years. In this mini-review, we discuss the base scaffolds (chemical skeletons) that we feel have produced very significant numbers of agents as drugs or drug leads and, in a number of cases, compounds that can be used as chemical synthons or that present activities in biological areas that were not obvious from their earlier history.
authors.affiliation: Natural Products Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, NCI-Frederick, MD 21702, USA. dn22a@nih.gov
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Gordon M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cragg
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products