存在于卫矛科植物雷公藤、南蛇藤等中的抗癌活性成分。该化合物结构载于2006年5月份Cancer Research杂志封面，并证实南蛇藤素通过抑制蛋白酶体活性进而诱发癌细胞凋亡，是有效的蛋白酶体抑制剂，其显著抑制了裸鼠身上前列腺癌的增生。因此，在癌症的预防和治疗方面，南蛇藤素是具有巨大开发潜力的天然蛋白酶体抑制剂。雷公藤红素是一种强力抗氧化，抗发炎剂。它是一种新型的HSP90的抑制剂（扰乱Hsp90/Cdc37复合物），抗癌（抗血管生成 - 抑制VEGFR的表达）;抗氧化剂（抑制脂质过氧化反应）和抗发炎活性（抑制iNOS及炎性细胞因子的生产）。 Celastrol, Celastrus scandens, a compound originally purified from Tripterygium wilfordii, has been shown to be an anti-peroxidative and anti-angiogenic agent. Mechanistic studies suggest that Celastrol suppresses levels of VEGF and Flk-1 receptors, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, which may reduce signal transduction between the two growth factors. Additionally, Celastrol has demonstrated the ability to disrupt critical interaction of Glu33 (Hsp90) and Arg167 (Cdc37) in the superchaperone complex which causes anti-proliferative activity in vitro and inhibit Topo II (topoisomerase II) activity in vitro (IC50 = 7.41 μM). Celastrol, Celastrus scandens is an inhibitor of Hsp90.