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Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
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Podophyllotoxin derivatives as an excellent anticancer aspirant for future chemotherapy: A key current imminent needs

Xu Zhang1, K P Rakesh1, C S Shantharam2

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Science, Wuhan University of Technology, 205 Luoshi Road, Wuhan 430073, PR China.

Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
|December 23, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This review explores novel anticancer drugs derived from podophyllotoxin analogs. It examines their mechanisms of action and structure-activity relationships for future drug development against cancer.

Area of Science:

  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of death, necessitating the development of new therapeutic agents.
  • Existing cancer treatments can cause side effects and lead to multidrug resistance.
  • Podophyllotoxin, a natural lignan, and its derivatives show significant pharmacological potential for cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review novel anticancer drugs based on podophyllotoxin analogs.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms of action of these compounds.
  • To analyze structure-activity relationships (SAR) for potential drug candidates.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of podophyllotoxin derivatives and their anticancer properties.
  • Analysis of published data on mechanisms of action.
  • Examination of SAR studies for efficacy and toxicity.

Main Results:

  • Podophyllotoxin analogs, including semi-synthetic drugs like etoposide and teniposide, exhibit broad-spectrum anticancer activity.
  • Various modifications of the podophyllotoxin scaffold have yielded compounds with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity.
  • Understanding SAR is crucial for designing potent and selective anticancer agents.

Conclusions:

  • Podophyllotoxin analogs represent a promising class of compounds for developing new anticancer drugs.
  • Further research into their mechanisms and SAR can lead to effective cancer therapies.
  • These natural product derivatives offer a valuable platform for future drug discovery in oncology.
Keywords:
Anticancer activityPodophyllotoxinSAR

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