Microtubules make
up the cytoskeleton of animal cells. The cytoskeleton
gives the cell both its shape and its function. During
mitosis or cell division, the microtubules must be “dissembled”
then “reassembled” in the two daughter cells.
Prostate cancer chemotherapy attacks the microtubules
of the cell by locking microtubules together. If the
cell tries to divide before the cell can repair the
damage, as will be the case for all quickly-dividing
cells, the cell will crumble and die. The specific prostate
cancer chemotherapy drugs that affect microtubule assembly
belong to the taxane group and are called paclitaxel
and docetaxel.
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