Etoposide is an anticancer topoisomerase inhibitor and semisynthetic epipodophyllotoxin that was derived from the natural product podophyllotoxin extracted from the North American mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, and the Indian species Podophyllum emodi. It is a non-alkaloid lignan isolated from the dried roots and rhizomes of these plants. The compound was first synthesized in the laboratory in 1966. It is effective against a variety of cancers, causing DNA damage which leads to apoptosis.
Etoposide is very slightly soluble in water.
| Mechanism of Action |
Etoposide targets DNA topoisomerase II, hindering the re-ligation step of DNA replication. This causes DNA damage and leads the cell to programmed cell death. |
| Cancer Applications |
Etoposide is derived from natural compounds and can be used in cancer research applications for a variety of cancers including testicular cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), SCLC (small cell lung cancer) and lymphoma. It is also used to reserach refractory pediatric neoplasms, hepatocellular carcinomas, acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), prostatic carcinomas, ovarian carcinomas, and non-small cell lung cancer (Sinkule, 1984). Polyphenols can modulate the effect of etopside by increasing its cytotoxicity in many types of cancer cell lines. They can increase the effect of chemotherapy by making cancer cells more sensitive (Kluska and Woźniak, 2021). |
| References |
Kluska M and Woźniak K (2021) Natural polyphenols as modulators of Etoposide anti-cancer activity. Int. J. Mol. Sci.22(12):6602 PMID 34202987 Montecucco, A., Zanetta, F., & Biamonti, G. (2015). Molecular mechanisms of etoposide. Experimental and Clinical Sciences, 14, 95-108. doi:10.17179/excli2015-561 Sinkule JA (1984) Etoposide: a semisynthetic epipodophyllotoxin. Chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, adverse effects and use as an antineoplastic agent. Pharmacother. 4(2):61-73 PMID 6326063 |