12 Advances in Cancer Chemotherapeutic Drug Research in China

Xu, Bin; Ding, Jian; Chen, Kai-Xian; Miao, Ze-Hong; Huang, He; Liu, Hong; Luo, Xiao-Min

In this chapter, the history of cancer chemotherapy discipline in China is briefly reviewed. Some effective antitumor drugs discovered in China are introduced such as Gengshengmeisu (actinomycin K), hydroxycamptothecin, homoharringtonine, methoxysarcolysin, N-formyl sarcolysin, nitrocaphane, glyciphosphoramide, bimolane, sobuzoxane, Sb-71 (antimony ammonia triacetic acid), and so on. New inhibitors of topoisomerases I and II such as chimmitecan and salvicine are described in detail regarding to their chemistry, antitumor activity, mechanism of action, and clinical trial. A number of effective anticancer compounds including angiogenesis inhibitor pseudolaric acid B, EGFR inhibitor quinonazoline derivative BB, and others are presented. New results obtained in our institute on several series of derivatives of N-substituted-thiourea; 3,5-substituted indolin-2-one compounds; 3-nitroquinolines; and quercetin-3-O-amino acid-esters and triaminotriazine analogs related to their design, synthesis, and antitumor evaluation are also provided. Keywords cancer, chemotherapeutic, drug research, advances in China