Discovery of anticancer drugs from antimalarial natural products: a MEDLINE literature review

Nature-derived antimalarials might have anticancer potential, yet no systematic reviews exist on the topic. We screened MEDLINE using an automated algorithm in a high-volume search for antimalarial agents recognized by the WHO and natural antimalarials from knowledge-resource texts and databases for reported evidence of anticancer activity. Results are reported by source (plants, fungi, marine organisms and bacteria) and anticancer mechanism. In total, 14 out of 15 nature-derived antimalarials (93%) referenced by WHO as well as 146 of 235 antimalarial natural species (62%) from our defined MEDLINE search were reported as having anticancer activity. Therefore, antimalarial natural products might provide a fertile and much needed lead in anticancer drug discovery.