Qinghaosu (artemisinin): chemistry and pharmacology.

Qinghaosu and its derivatives are widely used in the world as a new generation of antimalarial drug. Up to now, some important progresses of Qinghaosu research have been made, including synthesis of new qinghaosu derivatives and analogs, investigation on their bioactivities and mode of actions. The present review briefly describes these efforts made by researchers in China, particularly in this Institute.