Description
PaclitaxelisaditerpenecompoundfoundinTaxusyunnanensisthatexhibitsanticancerchemotherapeuticandanti-angiogenicactivities.Paclitaxelinducestubulinpolymerization,formingstablebutnonfunctionalmicrotubules;itinhibitsshorteningofmicrotubuleleadingedges,decreasesperipheralmicrotubuleformation,andaltersmorphologyoffocaladhesions,preventingcellmigrationandproliferation.Paclitaxelalsodysregulatestheepithelial-to-mesenchymal(EMT)transition,inducingtransitionofcancercellsintobenignfibroblast-likecells.Invitro,paclitaxelinducescaspase8-mediatedapoptosisthroughtheassociationofcaspase8’sdeatheffectordomainwithmicrotubules.

