Synthetic Strategies toward the Guaiane Sesquiterpene Englerin A

Englerin A is a guaiane sesquiterpene with potent and selective growth inhibition activity against six human renal cancer cell lines. Since the disclosure of its structure in 2009, englerin A has been the subject of intense study by the synthetic organic chemistry community, and several elegant strategies have been developed for the total synthesis of this exciting natural product. These strategies are discussed herein.