Paclitaxel in Cancer Therapy: Origins, Action, Resistance, and Future Prospects

Paclitaxel, branded as Taxol and Abraxane, is a nature-derived chemotherapy drug originally extracted from the Pacific yew. In contrast to previous attempts at combating cancer, Paclitaxel can effectively stop cancer cells division by stabilizing mitotic spindles. That’s why it’s still one of the most widely used drugs in cancer treatment today. This paper explores Paclitaxel’s history, mechanism of action, synthesis routes, metabolism in the human body, side effects, and its success rate. In the future, scientists are looking forward to improving Paclitaxel’s delivery, reducing its side effects, and overcoming resistance in certain cancers. This paper does not intend to be a comprehensive report on this amazing molecule. It is meant to be an introductory article to help more people understand Paclitaxel.