Published on 17 Feb 2025
• Recently the Indian Institute of (IIT) Madras and IIT Mandi researchers have metabolically engineered the plant cells of Nothapodytes nimmoniana to increase the production of Camptothecin.
• Camptothecin is an important anti-cancer drug lead molecule for high value drugs like Topotecan and Irinotecan.
• It is mainly extracted from Camptotheca acuminata (native to Eastern Asia) and Nothapodytes nimmoniana (native to India).
• The conjunction of climate change and extensive deforestation undertaken for CPT extraction has pushed these plants into the endangered species category.
Camptothecin
Biotechnology
Cancer