Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel is a diterpenoid chemotherapy drug that binds to β-tubulin and stabilizes microtubules. This disrupts chromosome separation during cell division and helps treat several cancers.

Microtubule: A hollow polymer of tubulin proteins that forms part of the cell cytoskeleton and helps organize intracellular transport and division. Paclitaxel binds these structures and suppresses their normal remodeling.
Ovarian cancer: A group of cancers arising in or near the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Paclitaxel is commonly used in systemic treatment regimens for this cancer.
Taxus brevifolia: A North American yew tree whose bark yielded the natural product later named paclitaxel. Its bark supplied the original material used to isolate the drug.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: Nerve damage caused by anticancer drugs, often producing numbness, tingling, or pain in the extremities. Peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting toxicity associated with paclitaxel.
Vinca alkaloids: Anticancer compounds that bind tubulin and inhibit microtubule assembly. Unlike paclitaxel’s stabilizing action, these drugs suppress microtubule formation.
Tubulin: A protein family whose α- and β-subunits assemble into microtubules. Paclitaxel binds β-tubulin within assembled microtubules.
Breast cancer: A cancer arising from cells of the breast, most often in ducts or lobules. Paclitaxel is used in several settings, including some early and advanced disease.
Monroe Wall: An American chemist who helped lead the National Cancer Institute natural-products program. His program identified paclitaxel among promising extracts from plant samples.
Paclitaxel resistance: Reduced cancer-cell sensitivity to paclitaxel through changes in drug transport, tubulin, or cell-death pathways. Resistance can limit responses or contribute to relapse after treatment.
Colchicine: A plant-derived compound that binds tubulin and inhibits microtubule polymerization. It provides a clear contrast to paclitaxel’s promotion of microtubule stability.

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