CAMPTOTHECINE Meaning and
Definition
-
Camptothecine is a naturally occurring alkaloid compound derived from the bark and stem of the Chinese Happy Tree (Camptotheca acuminata) and several other plants. It is classified as a topoisomerase inhibitor due to its ability to disrupt the action of the enzyme topoisomerase I in cells. Camptothecine possesses anti-cancer properties and has shown potential as a chemotherapeutic agent.
In the field of medicine, camptothecine has been extensively studied for its ability to inhibit DNA synthesis and replication in cancer cells. Its mechanism of action involves binding to the DNA-topoisomerase I complex, which results in the formation of a stabilized ternary compound and prevents the re-annealing of DNA strands. This interference leads to a breakage in the DNA strand during replication, ultimately culminating in cancer cell death or growth inhibition.
Research has indicated that camptothecine has promising activity against a wide range of cancers such as colorectal, ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. It has also shown potential in treating leukemia and lymphomas. However, due to its chemical instability and poor solubility, synthetic analogs of camptothecine, such as irinotecan and topotecan, have been developed and are utilized in clinical practice.
Though camptothecine exhibits potent anti-cancer properties, its clinical use is limited by various factors like toxicity, low bioavailability, and drug resistance. Nevertheless, camptothecine and its derivatives continue to be studied and optimized for the development of more effective and less toxic chemotherapeutic agents.
Common Misspellings for CAMPTOTHECINE
- xamptothecine
- vamptothecine
- famptothecine
- damptothecine
- czmptothecine
- csmptothecine
- cwmptothecine
- cqmptothecine
- canptothecine
- cakptothecine
- cajptothecine
- camotothecine
- camltothecine
- cam-tothecine
- cam0tothecine
- camprothecine
- campfothecine
- campgothecine
- campyothecine
- camp6othecine
Etymology of CAMPTOTHECINE
The word "Camptothecine" is derived from Camptotheca acuminata, a tree species native to China and parts of Southeast Asia. The tree produces a chemical compound called camptothecin, which was discovered to have potent anticancer properties. Subsequently, various derivatives and analogs of camptothecin were developed, and these compounds were collectively referred to as camptothecines. Thus, the word "Camptothecine" is formed by adding the suffix "-ine" to "Camptothec(a)", the genus name of the tree from which the compound was initially isolated.
Infographic
Add the infographic to your website:
