taxane

noun

tax·​ane ˈtak-ˌsān How to pronounce taxane (audio)
: any of various tricyclic compounds (as docetaxel and paclitaxel) with anticancer activity that are obtained from yew trees (genus Taxus) or are made synthetically

Note: Taxanes act by binding tubulin, thereby promoting microtubule formation and arresting cell division.

The taxanes are an important new class of anticancer agents that exert their cytotoxic effects through a unique mechanism.Eric K. Rowinsky and Ross C. Donehower, The New England Journal of Medicine
Some cancers, though, are armored against taxanes: Their cell membranes carry a multiple-drug-resistance pump that identifies taxanes as a threat and pumps them out before they can infiltrate the cell.Jonathan Fahey, Forbes

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Cite this Entry

“Taxane.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/taxane. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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