title: Antimitotic drugs in the treatment of cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x 323, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa.
authors.forename: Rustelle Janse
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Vuuren
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x 323, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa. michelle.visagie@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Michelle H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Visagie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x 323, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa.
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Theron
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag x 323, Arcadia, 0007, South Africa.
authors.forename: Annie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Joubert
mesh_terms: D050256:Antimitotic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D050256:Antimitotic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D043823:Taxoids; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids
keywords: 2-Methoxyestradiol; Epothilones; Estrogens; Taxanes; Vinca alkaloids