Question

Mechanism of action of taxane.

Hint:

Taxanes are effective in treating a wide range of cancers by targeting the microtubules, essential for cell division.

Answer 1

Taxanes, such as paclitaxel and docetaxel, are a class of chemotherapy drugs that work by inhibiting cell division.
Step 1: Inhibition of Microtubule Depolymerization:
Taxanes bind to the β-tubulin subunits of microtubules, stabilizing them and preventing their disassembly. This stabilization blocks the dynamic process of microtubule polymerization and depolymerization, which is essential for mitosis.
Step 2: Arrest in Mitosis:
The stabilization of microtubules leads to the formation of abnormal mitotic spindles, resulting in cell cycle arrest at the metaphase-anaphase transition. This prevents proper chromosome separation during cell division.
Step 3: Induction of Apoptosis:
As a result of mitotic arrest, the cell undergoes apoptosis (programmed cell death) due to the inability to complete cell division.