Anti-Cancer Drug Taxol Synthesized by Researchers

San Diego researchers reported Thursday that they had achieved complete chemical synthesis of taxol, a promising anti-cancer drug made from the yew tree.

The research by the team of scientists from Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla will be published in the Feb. 17 issue of the magazine Nature.

Taxol was originally isolated from the Pacific yew tree. More recently it has also been made from the European yew. Synthesis of taxol could help scientists devise ways of making large amounts of it relatively cheaply.

Researchers at Florida State University also reported this week that they had been able to manufacture taxol in a laboratory using camphor and other chemicals.

Taxol has been described by the National Cancer Institute as one of the best new cancer drugs in 15 years and has shown promise in treating ovarian and breast cancers that do not respond to other drugs.