Paclitaxel: Taxol

Abstract

Paclitaxel is a member of the taxanes family which has demonstrated encouraging activity in human malignancies. This drug has got a unique mechanism of action which eventually induces mitotic arrest by blocking cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. It enhances the polymerization of tubulin to stable microtubules and also interacts directly with microtubules, stabilizing them against depolymerization. It is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat ovarian, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast and Kaposi's sarcoma but it is used off-label to treat gastroesophageal, endometrial, cervical, prostate and head and neck tumours