Docetaxel is a taxoid antineoplastic agent used in the treatment of various cancers, such as locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, gastric adenocarcinoma, and head and neck cancer. Docetaxel is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication used for the treatment of different types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 3 references
Docetaxel interferes with the normal function of microtubule growth. Whereas drugs like colchicine cause the depolymerization of microtubules in vivo, docetaxel arrests their function by having the opposite effect; it hyper-stabilizes their structure. This destroys the cell's ability to use its cytoskeleton in a flexible manner. Specifically, docetaxel binds to the β-subunit of tubulin. Tubulin is the "building block" of microtubules, and the binding of docetaxel locks these building blocks in place. The resulting microtubule/docetaxel complex does not have the ability to disassemble. This adversely affects cell function because the shortening and lengthening of microtubules (termed dynamic instability) is necessary for their function as a transportation highway for the cell. Chromosomes, for example, rely upon this property of microtubules during mitosis. Further research has indicated that docetaxel induces programmed cell death (apoptosis) in cancer cells by binding to an apoptosis-stopping protein called Bcl-2 (B-cell leukemia 2), thus arresting its function.
- Primary indication
- Docetaxel is indicated as a single agent for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after chemotherapy failure; and with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide as adjuvant treatment of operable node-positive BC.Curator reviewed · 17 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C43H53NO14 · 807.8792 g/mol (avg)
- First approval
- Canada, 2006 · United States, 2008 · European Union, 2016
- Code names
- CKD-810 · RP56976 · RP-6976
- Brand names
Resolves to
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Which drugs share a target with Docetaxel, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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