February 1, 2011
Congratulations to the Herzon Laboratory on their recent synthesis of Lomaiviticin Aglycon (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011). This chemical synthesis represents an exciting contribution in the area of complex molecule synthesis, and showcases a strategy that is possibly related to the biosynthesis of this fascinating natural product. The structure also features rarely-observed-in-nature functional groups, which present special challenges for synthesis. Moreover, this work sets the stage for further study of the mechanism of action of this exciting natural product, which has been shown to exhibit potent anticancer properties. (See also: http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/89/i06/8906news5.html)