Camptothecin, 500 mg

STEMCELL Technologies offers Camptothecin as part of its small molecules range. This compound is an alkaloid isolated from Camptotheca acuminata and acts as an inhibitor of topoisomerase I, an enzyme involved in relaxing DNA torsional strain during DNA replication. By binding to the DNA cleavage complex of topoisomerase I, camptothecin prevents DNA religation, leading to DNA damage and cell death. It is supplied as a beige powder and carries CAS Number 7689-03-4, with the chemical formula C20H16N2O4 and a molecular weight of 348.4 g/mol. Purity is reported at ≥ 98%.

The product is stable as supplied for 12 months from the date of receipt when stored at -20°C, away from direct light. For long-term storage, a desiccant is recommended. Reported solubility is ≤ 14 mM in DMSO and ≤ 14 mM in absolute ethanol. When used as a cell culture supplement, the stock solution should be diluted into culture medium immediately before use, and final concentrations above 0.1% DMSO or absolute ethanol should be avoided due to potential cell toxicity.

Published applications include use as an apoptosis induction positive control, demonstration of cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines including HT29, LOX, SKOV3, and SKVLB, and induction of apoptosis in cancer cell lines such as HeLa, K562, CCRF-CEM, HCT-15, RBE, PC3, and C-33A. The product is for research use only, is classified as hazardous, and users are referred to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).