CHENNAI: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) have identified a sustainable and high-yielding alternative source of the anti-cancer drug Camptothecin, according to a statement issued by the institute on Thursday.
This novel microbial fermentation process can be an economical method of production to fulfil the market demand on a large scale, the statement added. Popular anti-cancer drugs Topotecan and Irinotecan are produced using Camptothecin.
More than a dozen derivatives and conjugates of Camptothecin are under clinical trials for anti-cancer applications. Nearly 1,000 tons of plant material are required to extract just one ton of Camptothecin.
Due to overharvesting to meet the demand, these plants are critically endangered, the statement said, adding that the researchers developed a microbial fermentation process that can meet the demand. The research was led by Smita Srivastava, associate professor, Department of Biotechnology. The findings were published in the reputed peer-reviewed International Journal of Scientific Reports (a Nature Research Publication).