Artemisinin (ART) is a natural sesquiterpene lactone molecule derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Artemisia annua L., commonly known as Sweet Annie, qinghao or sweet wormwood. Originally discovered and isolated by Chinese scientist Tu Youyou in the 1970s, artemisinin revolutionized malaria treatment worldwide and earned Tu Youyou the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. The compound’s unique endoperoxide bridge structure has proven essential not only for its antimalarial properties but also for its emerging anticancer activities.1
Beyond its well-established antimalarial effects, recent decades have witnessed growing interest in artemisinin’s potential as an anticancer agent. The compound and its derivatives, including dihydroartemisinin (DHA), artesunate (ATS), artemether (ARM), and arteether (ARTE), have demonstrated promising therapeutic effects against various cancer types, offering new hope in the fight against malignancies that resist conventional treatments.2










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