Camptothecin (Campathecin)

Description: Camptothecin (also known as Campathecin; CPT; NSC-100880), a naturally occurring quinoline alkaloid, is a potent and specific inhibitor of DNA enzyme topoisomerase I (Topo I) with potent antitumor activity. It inhibits topoisomerase I (Topo I) with an IC50 of 0.68 μM in a cell-free assay. Camptothecin can be isolated from the bark and stem of Camptotheca acuminata, and has been approved for use as an anticancer drug in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It showed remarkable anticancer activity in preliminary clinical trials but also low solubility and adverse drug reaction. Because of these disadvantages synthetic and medicinal chemists have developed numerous syntheses of Camptothecin and various derivatives to increase the benefits of the chemical, with good results.