Authors: Huw. M. L. Davies
Nature,
2009, 459, 786-787
Most syntheses in organic chemistry target one molecule, or a few closely related analogues at most. But by taking a leaf from nature’s book, the latest synthetic strategy opens the door to a whole family of compounds.
Naturally occurring compounds — known as ‘natural products’ to chemists — have had a long-standing role in the process of drug discovery. Many of them have useful biological activities and have become the foundations of new classes of therapeutic agents.