Drug Detail

Information about Taxol

Generic Name	Paclitaxel
IND
Brand Name (US)	Taxol
Manufacturer	Pfizer
Drug Type
Delivery	Intravenous
Approval Status
Indications
Overall Strategy	GIST cell based
Strategy	Cell cycle arrest
Drug Category	Tubulin inhibitor

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel is one of several cytoskeletal drugs that target tubulin. Paclitaxel-treated cells have defects in mitotic spindle assembly, chromosome segregation, and cell division. Unlike other tubulin-targeting drugs, such as colchicine, that inhibit microtubule assembly, paclitaxel stabilizes the microtubule polymer and protects it from disassembly. Chromosomes are thus unable to achieve a metaphase spindle configuration. This blocks the progression of mitosis and prolonged activation of the mitotic checkpoint triggers apoptosis or reversion to the G0-phase of the cell cycle without cell division.[20][21]

The ability of paclitaxel to inhibit spindle function is generally attributed to its suppression of microtubule dynamics,[22] but other studies have demonstrated that suppression of dynamics occurs at concentrations lower than those needed to block mitosis. At the higher therapeutic concentrations, paclitaxel appears to suppress microtubule detachment from centrosomes, a process normally activated during mitosis.[23] Paclitaxel binds to the beta-tubulin subunits of microtubules.[24]