Antimitotic drugs in the treatment of cancer

• Published in: Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology Vol. 76; no. 6; pp. 1101 - 1112
• Main Authors: van Vuuren, Rustelle Janse, Visagie, Michelle H., Theron, Anne E., Joubert, Annie M.
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antimitotic Agents - classification; Antimitotic Agents - therapeutic use; Apoptosis - drug effects; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cancer Research; Cell Cycle - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - metabolism; Oncology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Review; Review Article; Taxoids - therapeutic use; Vinca Alkaloids - therapeutic use; 2-Methoxyestradiol; Vinca alkaloids; Taxanes; Epothilones; Estrogens
• ISSN: 0344-5704; 1432-0843
• DOI: 10.1007/s00280-015-2903-8

Cancer is a complex disease since it is adaptive in such a way that it can promote proliferation and invasion by means of an overactive cell cycle and in turn cellular division which is targeted by antimitotic drugs that are highly validated chemotherapy agents. However, antimitotic drug cytotoxicity to non-tumorigenic cells and multiple cancer resistance developed in response to drugs such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids are obstacles faced in both the clinical and basic research field to date. In this review, the classes of antimitotic compounds, their mechanisms of action and cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy and other limitations of current antimitotic compounds are highlighted, as well as the potential of novel 17-β estradiol analogs as cancer treatment.