Abstract:Triptolide， an epoxidated diterpene lactone compound separated from a traditional Chinese medicine，Tripterygium wilfordiiHook.f (TWHF)， is responsible for the anti-tumor activity of TWHF with broad spectrum and high performance. The anti-tumor mechanism of triptolide locates in many fields， such as inducing apoptosis of tumor cell， interfering in the cell cycle， and suppressing angiogeneis. The advance in the anti-tumor mechanism of triptolide is described in the following review.