How DOES Taxol work?During cell division, the cell forms microtube structures called spindle fibers. These spindle fibers attach themselves to the chromosomes and align them in the center of the cell during metaphase. And, during anaphase, the spindle fibers pull the sister chromatids to the opposite ends of the cell.
Now, what taxol does is that it acts as powerful stimulants for the growth of these spindle fibers. The taxol makes the cells produce spindle fibers in enormous quantities, to a point where the cell’s innards are completely clogged with them. The taxol also locks the spindle fibers in place and thus, prevents them from separating the sister chromatids. Thus, the cell gets stuck at metaphase and eventually triggers the process of apoptosis (cell death). This is how taxol kills cancer cells. This was, in fact, discovered by Dr. Susan B. Horwitz in the late 1970s. |