title: [Search for natural substances with therapeutic activity: George R. Pettit].
abstract: This series of brief reviews covers the "life and work" of famous and iconic researchers who discovered major therapeutics from natural products: their life history, the circumstances of their discoveries, the molecules and their molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms of action, and their biomedical applications. Dedicated to George R. Pettit, the second article reviews the life of the famous researcher, his worldwide exploration of natural products, especially of marine origin, in search of promising anticancer leads, his discovery and structural elucidation of very potent drug candidates, their synthesis and the launch of some of them on the pharmaceutical market. An extraordinary scientific career which lead George R. Pettit from exploration of Nature to state-of-the-art analytical and synthetic chemistry and from clinical trials to therapeutic successes.
authors.affiliation: Association « Jardin de plantes anticancéreuses », place de l'Évêché, 29250 Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France.
authors.forename: Pierre P J
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Da Silva
authors.affiliation: Association « Jardin de plantes anticancéreuses », place de l'Évêché, 29250 Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France - ManRos Therapeutics, centre de Perharidy, 29680 Roscoff, France - Laboratoire de chimie et biochimie pharmacologiques et toxicologiques (LCBPT), unité de pharmacologie génétique et chimique, Inserm U1022, université Paris Descartes, 45, rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lyamin Z
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Bendjeddou
authors.affiliation: Association « Jardin de plantes anticancéreuses », place de l'Évêché, 29250 Saint-Pol-de-Léon, France - ManRos Therapeutics, centre de Perharidy, 29680 Roscoff, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meijer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000302:isolation & purification; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry; D001632:Bibenzyls / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001688:Biological Products / Q000266:history* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054713:Bryostatins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000266:history*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009515:New Jersey; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry; D012106:Research; D013256:Steroids / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001632:Bibenzyls; D001688:Biological Products; D054713:Bryostatins; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013256:Steroids; C040105:combretastatin