Showing papers by "Gordon M. Cragg published in 2005"

Anticancer Agents from Natural Products

Abstract: Introduction Gordon M. Cragg, David G. I. Kingston, and David J. Newman Camptothecin and Its Analogs Nicolas J. Rahier, Craig J. Thomas, and Sidney M. Hecht The Discovery and Development of the Combretastatins Kevin G. Pinney, George R. Pettit, Mary Lynn Trawick, Christopher Jelinek, and David J. Chaplin Homoharringtonine and Related Compounds Hideji Itokawa, Yukio Hitotsuyanagi, and Kuo-Hsiung Lee Podophyllotoxins and Analogs Kuo-Hsiung Lee and Zhiyan Xiao Taxol and its Analogs David G. I. Kingston The Vinca Alkaloids Fanny Roussi, Francoise Gueritte, and Jacques Fahy The Bryostatins David J. Newman The Isolation, Characterization, and Development of a Novel Class of Potent Antimitotic Macrocyclic Depsipeptides: The Cryptophycins Rima S. Al-awar and Chuan Shih Chemistry and Biology of the Discodermolides, Potent Mitotic Spindle Poisons Sarath P. Gunasekera and Amy E. Wright The Dolastatins: Novel Antitumor Agents from Dolabella auricularia Erik Flahive and Jayaram Srirangam Ecteinascidin-743 (Yondelis(R)), Aplidin(R), and Irvalec(R) Carmen Cuevas, Andres Francesch, Carlos M. Galmarini, Pablo Aviles, and Simon Munt Discovery of E7389, a Fully Synthetic Macrocyclic Ketone Analog of Halichondrin B Melvin J. Yu, Yoshito Kishi, and Bruce A. Littlefield HTI-286 (Taltobulin), A Synthetic Analog of the Antimitotic Natural Product Hemiasterlin Raymond J. Andersen, David E. Williams, Wendy K. Strangman, and Michel Roberge The Actinomycins Anthony B. Mauger and Helmut Lackner Anthracyclines Federico-Maria Arcamone Ansamitocins (Maytansinoids) Tin-Wein Yu, Heinz G. Floss, Gordon M. Cragg, and David J. Newman Benzoquinone Ansamycins Kenneth M. Snader Bleomycin Group Antitumor Agents Sidney M. Hecht Biochemical and Biological Evaluation of (+)-CC-1065 Analogs and Conjugates with Polyamides Rohtash Kumar and J. William Lown Epothilone, a Myxobacterial Metabolite With Promising Antitumor Activity Gerhard Hofle and Hans Reichenbach Enediynes Philip R. Hamann, Janis Upeslacis, and Donald B. Borders The Mitomycins William A. Remers Staurosporines and Structurally Related Indolocarbazoles as Antitumor Agents Michelle Prudhomme Combinatorial Biosynthesis of Anticancer Natural Products Steven G. Van Lanen and Ben Shen Developments and Future Trends in Anticancer Natural Products Drug Discovery Gordon M. Cragg and David J. Newman Index

Biodiversity: A continuing source of novel drug leads*

Abstract: Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and continues to be an abundant source of novel chemotypes and pharmacophores. With only 5 to 15 % of the approximately 250 000 species of higher plants systematically investigated, and the po- tential of the marine environment barely tapped, these areas will remain a rich source of novel bioactive compounds. Less than 1 % of bacterial and 5 % of fungal species are cur- rently known, and the potential of novel microbial sources, particularly those found in ex- treme environments, seems unbounded. To these natural sources can be added the potential to investigate the rational design of novel structure types within certain classes of microbial metabolites through genetic engineering. It is apparent that Nature can provide the novel chemical scaffolds for elaboration by combinatorial approaches (chemical and biochemical), thus leading to agents that have been optimized on the basis of their pharmacological activi- ties. The proven natural product drug discovery track record, coupled with the continuing threat to biodiversity through the destruction of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the current low number of new chemical entities in pharmaceutical industry pipelines, provides a compelling argument in favor of expanded multidisciplinary and international collaboration in the exploration of Nature as a source of novel leads for the development of drugs and other valuable bioactive agents.

International collaboration in drug discovery and development from natural sources

Abstract: Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years, and an im- pressive number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources, particularly plants, with many based on their use in traditional medicine. The past century, however, has seen an increasing role played by microorganisms in the production of the antibiotics and other drugs for the treatment of serious diseases, and more recently, marine organisms have proved to be a rich source of novel bioactive agents. Natural products will continue to play a crucial role in meeting this demand through the expanded investigation of the world's bio- diversity, much of which remains unexplored. By using medicinal chemistry, and combina- torial chemical and biosynthetic technology, novel natural product leads will be optimized on the basis of their biological activities to yield effective chemotherapeutic and other bioactive agents. With much of the biological diversity found in tropical and subtropical regions, the investigation of these resources requires multidisciplinary international collaboration in the discovery and development process. Such collaboration can result in substantial short-term benefits accruing to source countries, with the potential for the generation of significant longer-term benefits in the select cases of those agents that proceed into advanced develop- ment, and possible commercialization.