Natural products as antimitotic agents.

Area of Science:

• Medicinal Chemistry
• Natural Products Chemistry
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Natural products (NP) remain vital in medicinal chemistry, with over 60% of anticancer agents originating from natural sources like plants and microorganisms.
• These natural products represent a rich source of lead compounds and potential therapeutic agents, despite advances in biotechnology and combinatorial chemistry.
• Organisms studied include plants, microorganisms, and marine life, yielding NP considered 'privileged chemical structures' for pharmaceutical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review anti-mitotic natural products (NP).
• To explore the potential impact of these NP in developing new anticancer therapeutic agents.
• To emphasize the significance of NP as starting points for drug discovery and library design.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on anti-mitotic natural products.
• Analysis of NP derived from plants, microorganisms, and marine organisms.
• Examination of tubulin and microtubule targeting agents (MTA) and vascular disrupting agents (VDA) derived from natural sources.

Main Results:

• Natural products are a high-impact source for novel anticancer lead compounds.
• Examples like paclitaxel, combretastatin, bryostatin, and discodermolide underscore the importance of NP in chemotherapy.
• Tubulin and microtubules are validated targets for anticancer drug development, with NP-derived agents showing significant promise.

Conclusions:

• Anti-mitotic natural products hold significant potential for the development of new anticancer therapies.
• NP offer unique chemical scaffolds that can be leveraged for drug discovery and lead optimization.
• Continued exploration of natural sources is essential for identifying novel therapeutic agents against cancer.