lapachone

Lapachone (also known as beta-lapachone or β-lapachone) is a small molecule ortho-naphthoquinone originally isolated from the bark of the Lapacho tree in South America. It has been investigated primarily as an anticancer agent, with additional reported antifungal, antiviral, and antitrypanosomal properties. Its mechanism of action is highly specific to cancer cells that overexpress NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), an enzyme found at elevated levels in many solid tumors such as those of the pancreas, lung, breast, prostate, and head and neck. In NQO1-positive tumor cells, lapachone undergoes a futile redox cycle catalyzed by NQO1 that generates high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to DNA damage and hyperactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). This results in rapid depletion of NAD+ and ATP within cancer cells—causing metabolic catastrophe and cell death—while sparing normal tissues with low NQO1 expression. Lapachone has also shown potential as a radiosensitizer for enhancing radiation therapy efficacy[2][3][5][9].

Other names

beta-lapachoneβ-lapachone