Question

many chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancer work by modifying the mitotic spindle. Paclitaxel works by interfering with normal microtubule breakdown during cell division and Vinblastine works by binding tubular, thereby inhibiting the assembly of microtubules. How specifically do you think these drugs would stop cancer cell? What consequences might taking these drugs have for a cancer patient?

Answer 1

Part 1 Pacilitaxel action mechanism:

	Step 1: Pacilitaxel binds to N-terminal amino acids of β tubulin subunits Step2: This binding inhibits depolymerization of Microtubules participating in spindle formation (stable spindle) Step 3: Blocks detachment of spindle in Anaphase .Resulting in Mitotic arrest leading to cancer cell death

  

  

Vinblastine affect synthesis of the mitotic spindle by inhibiting the tubulin polymerization and therefore the formation of the mitotic spindle is hindered.

consequences these drugs might have for a cancer patient:

Microtubules are needed for many functions in non-cancerous cells also,thus these treatments don’t discriminate between cancerous and normal cells, interferes with normal cell divisions, hence the commonly observed hair loss and other under-the-skin effects, like low blood counts due to reduced production of new blood cells.