XVI International Botanical Congess

The novel diterpenoid paclitaxel (Taxol) is one of the most potent drugs in the treatment of cancer. Its limited supply from the bark of Pacific yew led to intense efforts to develop alternative sources and means of production.Semisynthetic production has been developed using taxane precursors from needles, but increasing use of taxol in clinical settings still place demands on supply and cost of the drug. For the future, supplies of taxol and its semisynthetic precursors will still rely on biological methods of production. Cell cultures can ultimately lead to reliable, year-round production, eliminating the need for harvesting while protecting the rich genetic diversity within Taxus. This talk will focus on the strategies using cell cultures as an economic means of taxoid production.