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Review
. 2009 Jan;53(1):140-6.
doi: 10.1002/mnfr.200700491.

Betulinic acid: a natural product with anticancer activity

Simone Fulda  1
Affiliations
Review

Betulinic acid: a natural product with anticancer activity

Simone Fulda. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2009 Jan.

Abstract

Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpene that exhibits a variety of biological activities including potent antitumor properties. This anticancer activity has been linked to its ability to directly trigger mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, a central event in the apoptotic process that seals the cell's fate. In contrast to the potent cytotoxicity of BA against a variety of cancer types, nonmalignant cells and normal tissue remained relatively resistant to BA, indicating a therapeutic window. Since agents that exert a direct action on mitochondria may trigger cell death under circumstances in which standard chemotherapeutics fail, there is increasing interest to develop such compounds as experimental cancer therapeutics. Thus, mitochondrion-targeted agents such as BA hold great promise as a novel approach to bypass certain forms of drug resistance in human cancers.

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