ABSTRACT
The bark of Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) is the current source for the novel chemotherapeutic drug Taxol. Taxol, a complex diteipenoid, has been called by the NCI “the best anti-cancer agent” developed in the last 15 years. The primary impediment to the development and utilization of Taxol as a chemotherapeutic, however, has been its supply.1 Supplies of the drug are limited in part because of the restrictions on the amount of material available for harvesting.2 Additionally, the complex structure of Taxol has eluded complete chemical synthesis, although significant progress has been made as seen in Chapter 6.3 Although semisynthetic production of Taxol appears promising, this method is still dependent on a natural source for the taxane ring precursor.4,5
