Celastrol: A century-long journey from the isolation to the biotechnological production and the development of an antiobesity drug
Yong Zhao, Karel Miettinen, Sotirios C. Kampranis
Abstract
Celastrol, a triterpenoid found in the root of the traditional medicinal plant Tripterygium wilfordii, is a potent anti-inflammatory and antiobesity agent. However, pharmacological exploitation of celastrol has been hindered by the limited accessibility of plant material, the co-existence of other toxic compounds in the same plant tissue, and the lack of an efficient chemical synthesis method. In this review, we highlight recent progress in elucidating celastrol biosynthesis and discuss how this knowledge can facilitate its scalable bioproduction using cell factories and its further development as an antiobesity and anti-inflammatory drug.
Topics & Concepts
CelastrolTripterygium wilfordiiBioproductionBiologyDrug discoveryDrug developmentDrugBiotechnologyDrug candidateComputational biologyPharmacologyTraditional medicineBiochemistryMedicineApoptosisPathologyAlternative medicineNatural Compounds in Disease TreatmentNatural product bioactivities and synthesisBioactive Compounds and Antitumor Agents