In the present study, we report our findings on the impact of p53 disruption on the sensitivity of human cell lines to the antimitotic agents Taxol and vincristine. Comparisons of cell survival and apoptosis were made with y-irradiation and, in some cases, several other DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents. Studies in eight Burkitt's lymphoma and lymphoblastoid cell lines (four wild-type p53 an...

AntimitoticDrugsDisrupt theNormal Function of the Mitotic Spindle and Cause Spindle Checkpoint ^MediatedMitotic Arrest Microtubule inhibitors such as Vinka alkaloids (e.g., vinblastine and vincristine) and Taxans (e.g., taxol/paclitaxel and docetaxel) are potent therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment. The cellular consequences of taxol/paclitaxel treatments over a wide range of doses (1 nmol/L–...

Trichosanthes dioica Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae), called Potol in Bengali, Palval in Hindi and pointed gourd in English is a dioecious climber grown in Indian subcontinent and all parts of it have been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimitotic and genotoxic effect of cucurbitacin enriched extract of T. dioica root using Allium cepa...

Three different series of cis-restricted analogues combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), corresponding to thirty-nine molecules that contained a pyrrole nucleus interposed between the two aryl rings, were prepared by palladium-mediated coupling approach and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against six human cancer cell lines. In 1,2-diaryl derivatives, results suggested presence 3?,4?,5?-tri...

Purpose Multiple Myeloma is one of the hematological malignancies that is caused by an unregulated proliferation of a single clone of plasma cells in the bone marrow leading to anemia, thrombocytopenia, bone destruction and pathological fractures. Accumulation of M-protein in the plasma suppresses normal level of immunoglobulins. Chemotherapy is based on the combination of alkylating agents, us...

The taxanes, paclitaxel and docetaxel, are novel antimitotic agents that are under extensive investigation in clinical trials. Both taxanes have demonstrated significant activity against many solid tumors as single agents and in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. In addition, taxanes arrest cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, which is the most radiosensitive phase. These pro...

Cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy drugs are believed to gain selectivity by targeting cells that proliferate rapidly. However, the proliferation rate is low in many chemosensitive human cancers, and it is not clear how a drug that only kills dividing cells could promote tumor regression. Four potential solutions to this "proliferation rate paradox" are discussed for the microtubule-stabilizing drug...

-The in vitro chemosensitivity of primary monolayer cultures of human ovarian tumours to a wide range of chemotherapeutic agents has been determined using 3H-leucine incorporation as an index of cytotoxicity. Of 67 specimens received, 35 have been successfully cultured and tested for chemosensitivity. Drugs tested included alkylating agents, antibiotics, antimitotics, antimetabolites and proges...