Rechercher
The chemist and Nature
One of the rewarding aspects of being a researcher is to find new solutions that improve the lives of our fellow citizens. The natural product chemist who works in the field of biological and medicinal chemistry takes part in this quest. The discovery of Taxotere®, an anticancer drug of natural origin, is one of many examples showing the chemist’s contribution in the search for new bioactive molecules turned into drugs.
It all begins with the study of the constituents of the yew tree, a majestic representative of the conifer family. The bark of the yew tree contains a complex molecule with anticancer properties, Taxol®, but isolated in amounts too small to allow its development as a drug. The natural substance chemist will then imagine how the plant can produce this molecule from simpler molecules contained in different parts of the yew tree. This is called biogenesis.
Continuing his research, the chemist will analyse the various compounds isolated from the leaves of the yew tree and find a molecule that belongs to the same family as Taxol®, but with a simpler structure. From this molecule, he will reproduce Taxol® via synthesis and design other compounds by evaluating their biological activities. Among these molecules, Taxotere® became an anticancer drug. In the course of this research, the chemist is the first link in a complex chain, involving biologists, pharmacologists, clinicians, which allows a drug to be obtained from a plant.
Institut de chimie des substances naturelles, CNRS-Université Paris 11
- L’if, aux frontières de la vie (extrait)
Réalisation : Jean-Luc Bouvret - Production : Le Miroir, Arte France, CNRS Images, MNHN (2010)
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