Camptothecin : Anti-Cancer Drug
Researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology Madras and Mandi have metabolically engineered Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells to increase production of anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT).
- Camptothecin is an important anti-cancer drug lead molecule for high-value drugs like Topotecan and Irinotecan.
- It is a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor extracted mainly from – Camptotheca acuminata (native to Eastern Asia) and Nothapodytes nimmoniana (native to India).
- It is majorly produced in the Southeast Asian region, with the plant being largely found only in China and India.
- However, the conjunction of climate change and extensive deforestation undertaken for CPT extraction has pushed these plants into the endangered species category.
