Search

Camptothecin (CPT) derivatives have become integral to the management of lung and colon cancer. They continue to be the subject of intense investigation. The parent compound, CPT, was extracted from the leaves of Camptotheca acuminata by Wall and Wani in 1957. The hydrophilic carboxylate salt entered clinical trials in the late 1960s. The lack of efficacy and unpredictable bone marrow and bladder toxicity halted its clinical development (1). When topoisomerase I (TOP-I) was discovered as the target of CPT class of compounds 1985 (2), there was a resurgence of interest in the compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]