Irinotecan
Irinotecan is a semisynthetic camptothecin derivative and antineoplastic chemotherapy agent.
Irinotecan is a semisynthetic camptothecin derivative and antineoplastic chemotherapy agent. It is administered as a prodrug that is converted principally to SN-38, the pharmacologically active metabolite. Irinotecan and SN-38 inhibit DNA topoisomerase I by stabilizing the transient complex formed between topoisomerase I and DNA during DNA-strand relaxation. This prevents efficient re-ligation of DNA and can produce replication-associated DNA damage, leading to cell-cycle arrest and cancer-cell death.
Irinotecan is used particularly in chemotherapy regimens for colorectal cancer and is also investigated in other solid tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Its clinical use is limited by toxicities such as diarrhea and myelosuppression; delayed-onset diarrhea is a characteristic treatment-related complication. irinotecan hydrochloride is one pharmaceutical form, while liposomal formulations have been developed to alter drug distribution and release. The drug has also been studied in combination with agents and approaches involving capecitabine, chemoradiotherapy, immune-microenvironment modulation, autophagy-related pathways, and targeted delivery systems.
Where the papers sit
11 papers from the last 6 months study irinotecan directly · updated from PubMed 25 Oct 2026
Study type 2 clinical trials · 1 observational · 2 human data · 5 preclinical · 1 unclassified
Themes no clear themes
Those 11 do not share a common subject.
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The cluster combines unrelated work on pan-cancer biomarkers, tumor heterogeneity, chemotherapy, drug delivery and sepsis. Clinical studies address rectal, pancreatic and neuroblastoma treatment, while other papers examine macrophage ferroptosis and engineered irinotecan formulations. Molecular profiling, organoids, extracellular vesicles, chemoembolization and TOP1 degradation appear as separate themes rather than a shared program. No single biological question or research direction unites the set.
Papers
The 11 papers from the last 6 months that study irinotecan directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
No clear themes (11)
- Comprehensive study of the tumor immune microenvironment and the prognostic significance of reticulocalbin-1: a pan-cancer analysis. Functional & integrative genomics · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42645556
- Patient-Derived Organoid and Single-Cell Multiomics Reveal Evolution Driven by CEACAM6/KRT19-Mediated Heterogeneity. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 20 Aug 2026 PMID 42622615
- Targeting FAR1 to inhibit intestinal macrophage ferroptosis: repurposing irinotecan as a novel sepsis therapy. Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 19 Aug 2026 PMID 42616198
- Impact of Tumor Genomic Profile on Adjuvant Chemotherapy Efficacy in Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Results From the PRODIGE-24/CCTG PA6 Study. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 3 Aug 2026 PMID 42546248
- Addition of irinotecan to chemoradiotherapy as preoperative treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (ARISTOTLE): a multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. Oncology · 27 Jul 2026 PMID 42508427
- Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Neuroblastoma Treated on ANBL1221: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatric blood & cancer · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42487540
- In Situ Transferrin-Mediated Sandwich-like Targeting with Engineered Ginger-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Precision Oral Chemotherapy of Colorectal Cancer. ACS nano · 22 Jul 2026 PMID 42486784
- Phase I Dose-Escalation Study Combining Irinotecan-Loaded Drug-Eluting Bead Chemoembolization with Yttrium-90 Glass Microsphere Radioembolization in Colorectal Liver Metastases (DEBIR90Y). Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR · 16 Jul 2026 PMID 42462844
- Correlation of Molecular State and Drug Release in Irinotecan-Loaded Liposomes Using Different Trapping Agents. Molecular pharmaceutics · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42425915
- Integrative multi-omics and machine learning reveal PLAUR as a Pan-Cancer prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target. Bioorganic chemistry · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42391812
- Reprogramming Aromatic Camptothecins into TOP1 Degraders via Synergistic Hydrophobic Tagging and Supramolecular Assembly. Journal of the American Chemical Society · 30 Jun 2026 PMID 42378337
By study type
Clinical trials (2)
- Addition of irinotecan to chemoradiotherapy as preoperative treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (ARISTOTLE): a multicentre, open-label, phase 3, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. Oncology · 27 Jul 2026 PMID 42508427
- Phase I Dose-Escalation Study Combining Irinotecan-Loaded Drug-Eluting Bead Chemoembolization with Yttrium-90 Glass Microsphere Radioembolization in Colorectal Liver Metastases (DEBIR90Y). Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR · 16 Jul 2026 PMID 42462844
Observational studies and case reports (1)
- Long-Term Outcomes of Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Neuroblastoma Treated on ANBL1221: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group. Pediatric blood & cancer · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42487540
Human data, design not indexed (2)
- Patient-Derived Organoid and Single-Cell Multiomics Reveal Evolution Driven by CEACAM6/KRT19-Mediated Heterogeneity. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 20 Aug 2026 PMID 42622615
- Impact of Tumor Genomic Profile on Adjuvant Chemotherapy Efficacy in Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Results From the PRODIGE-24/CCTG PA6 Study. Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 3 Aug 2026 PMID 42546248
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (5)
- Comprehensive study of the tumor immune microenvironment and the prognostic significance of reticulocalbin-1: a pan-cancer analysis. Functional & integrative genomics · 26 Aug 2026 PMID 42645556
- Targeting FAR1 to inhibit intestinal macrophage ferroptosis: repurposing irinotecan as a novel sepsis therapy. Apoptosis : an international journal on programmed cell death · 19 Aug 2026 PMID 42616198
- In Situ Transferrin-Mediated Sandwich-like Targeting with Engineered Ginger-Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Precision Oral Chemotherapy of Colorectal Cancer. ACS nano · 22 Jul 2026 PMID 42486784
- Correlation of Molecular State and Drug Release in Irinotecan-Loaded Liposomes Using Different Trapping Agents. Molecular pharmaceutics · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42425915
- Integrative multi-omics and machine learning reveal PLAUR as a Pan-Cancer prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target. Bioorganic chemistry · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42391812
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (1)
- Reprogramming Aromatic Camptothecins into TOP1 Degraders via Synergistic Hydrophobic Tagging and Supramolecular Assembly. Journal of the American Chemical Society · 30 Jun 2026 PMID 42378337
Written from 11 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-08-20. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.