C.1.
Paclitaxel (Sold as Taxol®)
Paclitaxel (Fig. 1.9) was isolated
from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, by Monroe Wall and Mansukh
Wani in 1967. It was co-developed by NCI
and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The drug product was approved as Taxol® by the FDA in
1992. Since its approval, Taxol has been used to treat patients with ovarian,
lung, and breast cancer for a number of years.
Fig.
1.9
Structure of paclitaxel
Paclitaxel works by
hyper-stabilizing microtubules, major components of the dynamic cellular
skeleton (cytoskeleton), to interfere with the normal breakdown of microtubules
in the M phase of cell cycle (mitosis). In eukaryotic cells (cells with a
nucleus), the cell cycle can be divided in two brief periods: interphase and
the mitosis. During the interphase (I), the cell grows, accumulating nutrients
and duplicates its DNA. During the mitosis phase (M), the cell splits itself
into two distinct daughter cells. As a result of paclitaxel treatment, which
hyper-stabilizes microtubules and hampers the mitosis, cancer cells are not
able to replicate.
Similar to all other anticancer
drugs, paclitaxel has a number of side effects. Serious side effects include
unusual bleeding, skin rash, change in bowel habits, fever, chills, cough,
difficulty swallowing, dizziness, shortness of breath, as well as severe
exhaustion.
© Jiajiu Shaw, 2019
Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book, "SIDE EFFECTS OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY", prepared by Dr. Jiajiu Shaw, Dr. Frederick Valeriote, and Dr. Ben Chen.
