Taxol and related compounds

Abstract

Paclitaxel is a mitotic inhibitor used in cancer chemotherapy. It was discovered in the US National Cancer Institute program in 1967 when Monroe E. Wall and Mansukh C. Wani isolated it from the bark of the Pacific yew tree, Taxus brevifolia, and named it taxol. When it was developed commercially, the generic name was changed to paclitaxel. Paclitaxel is now used to treat patients with ovarian, breast, and advanced forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Paclitaxel stabilizes microtubules and, as a result, interferes with the normal breakdown of microtubules during cell division. Together with docetaxel, it forms the drug category of the taxanes. While offering substantial improvement in patient care, paclitaxel has been a relatively controversial drug. There was originally concern because of the environmental impact of its original sourcing, no longer used, from the Pacific yew. So in recent years, extensive research has been done to find a way to produce it from alternative resources including related compounds and also to lessen the side effects of paclitaxel. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.