Cryptophycin

Cryptophycins are a family of macrolide molecules that are potent cytotoxins and have been studied for potential antiproliferative properties useful in developing chemotherapy.

[1] Cryptophycins were patented as antifungal agents with an unknown mechanism of action and subsequently identified as microtubule inhibitors.

[4] Nevertheless, study of the structure-activity relationships between the two subgroups of molecules led to improved understanding of their cytotoxic effects.

[8] Cryptophycins are capable of inducing apoptosis,[9] possibly through other mechanisms in addition to that mediated by microtubule inhibition.

Cryptophycin-52, a synthetic analog of natural product cryptophycins also known as LY355703,[11] reached phase II clinical trials but was withdrawn due to side effects.