Artemisinin and Its Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents
Luan Wen,
Ben Chung-Lap Chan,
Ming-Hua Qiu,
Ping-Chung Leung,
Chun-Kwok Wong
Affiliations
Luan Wen
Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Ben Chung-Lap Chan
Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Ming-Hua Qiu
State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
Ping-Chung Leung
Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Chun-Kwok Wong
Institute of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Artemisinin is a natural sesquiterpene lactone obtained from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Artemisia annua L. (qinghao). Artemisinin and its derivatives share an unusual endoperoxide bridge and are extensively used for malaria treatment worldwide. In addition to antimalarial activities, artemisinin and its derivatives have been reported to exhibit promising anticancer effects in recent decades. In this review, we focused on the research progress of artemisinin and its derivatives with potential anticancer activities. The pharmacological effects, potential mechanisms, and clinical trials in cancer therapy of artemisinin and its derivatives were discussed. This review may facilitate the future exploration of artemisinin and its derivatives as effective anticancer agents.
