Epipodophyllotoxins are substances naturally occurring in the root of American Mayapple plant (''

Podophyllum peltatum ''Podophyllum peltatum'' is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Berberidaceae. Its common names are mayapple, American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon. It is widespread across most of the eastern United States and southeastern ...

''). Some epipodophyllotoxin derivatives are currently used in the treatment of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal bl ...

. These include

etoposide Etoposide, sold under the brand name Vepesid among others, is a chemotherapy medication used for the treatments of a number of types of cancer including testicular cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and ovarian cancer. It is ...

and

teniposide Teniposide (trade name Vumon) is a chemotherapeutic medication used in the treatment of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), Hodgkin's lymphoma, certain brain tumours, and other types of cancer. It is in a class of drugs known as podophyll ...

. They act as anti-cancer drugs by inhibiting

topoisomerase II Type II topoisomerases are topoisomerases that cut both strands of the DNA helix simultaneously in order to manage DNA tangles and supercoils. They use the hydrolysis of ATP, unlike Type I topoisomerase. In this process, these enzymes change th ...

.Takimoto CH, Calvo E
"Principles of Oncologic Pharmacotherapy"
in Pazdur R, Wagman LD, Camphausen KA, Hoskins WJ (Eds
Cancer Management: A Multidisciplinary Approach
11 ed. 2008.

References

{{botany-stub Plant toxins Benzodioxoles

See also

References