History’s Affect on Paclitaxel
Paclitaxel’s development might be seen as a microcosm of external
historical events and ideologies that have affected not only the
biochemical world but history in general. For instance, paclitaxel’s
development came during a period of increased fervor in finding a cure
for cancer, an incredibly important field that continues today.
Moreover, environmentalists, developing from the 1970s in particular,
became more aware of different man-made impacts on the environment,
notwithstanding paclitaxel’s synthesis. Thus, one sees the impact that
external ideologies and events may have on the cancer treatment world, a
top-down effect. Finally, serendipity, an undefinable but significant
role in the production of many drugs throghout history, has also
affected paclitaxel. Paclitaxel, a result of a wide-ranging look for
cancer treatments through plants, came realtively out-of-nowhere, when
the botanist Arthur S. Barclay discovered taxol in 1962. Through these
devlopments outside of paclitaxel, one sees that history has affected
paclitaxel most likely more than paclitaxel has affected history, a
comment on the power of external ideas and events over internal ideas
such as paclitaxel’s unique history.
Paclitaxel’s Affect on History
Paclitaxel is a remarkably controversial, yet effective drug for
fighting the mitotic processes in cancer cells. As such, paclitaxel has
affected the direction of cancer research due to its relatively high
success rate, particularly with ovarian cancer. Moreover, history has
shown that paclitaxel’s very means of discovery was fraught with
ecological concerns, associated with its success, as well as
institutional and political problems. The effectiveness of paclitaxel
may represent its crux as well: the success of the molecule has spurred
competing chemists into a battle over the rights to the cancer
treatment, one that has often involved serious legal and governmental
legislation. Taxol is also used in other procedures, such as in vitro
fertilization, used to affect the cell microtubules.
Paclitaxel has always been the center of attention
between scientists and researchers looking for a viable solution/drug
for certain types of cancers, however, the drug has also been the center
of attention for evironmentalists (and rightly so) for its ecological
affects on the pacific yew tree populatioon of the Pacific Northwest.
During phase II trials, an abudence of bark samples were needed to work
on the synthesis of the cancer treating drug: an alarm bell for
environmentalists to commence fighting against scientists and
researchers, appealing to the government to limit the use of tree bark
in paclitaxel’s synthesis.
Currently, pacltaxel is devloped through an improved
method of plant cell fermentation which limits the amount of energy used
and retain the effectiveness of the drug produced. This is a result of
environmentalists demanding a resolution from the government in 1993,
making the production of paclitaxel more ecologically-friendly in its
nature.
Inside Paclitaxel: Physical Characteristics
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Paclitaxel works to inhibit mitosis in quickly multiplying cells in the body (cancer cells in particular).
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Moreover, when paclitaxel bonds with this specifc part of the microtubules, the cell goes through characteristics that are irregular and affect the division of the cell in mitosis.
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Once mitosis is started, the microtubules position themselves for division and seperation into the emerging ‘new’ cell; however, the paclitaxel has already bonded to the microtubule and created a surpluss of microtubules (in contrast to other mitotic inhibitors that attach to tubulin and disassemble the microtubules), and thus, the cell undergoes apoptosis (cell death).
Paclitaxel and Cancer Treatment
In 1979, Susan B. Horwitz’s publication on the true intermoleculear features of taxol, including the mitotic inhibition caused by the molecule upon injection, created a new interest in the molecule. The 80′s produced the first phases of efforts to analyze the affects of paclitaxel as a cancer treatment, which began preliminary trials in 1984. By 1988, phase II trials were underway, meaning an inceases in the amount of pacific yew tree bark needed to synthesize the molecule.Pacliatxel, developed initially from the Taxus brevifolia or Pacific yew tree in 1967, underwent many stages of development prior to reaching the level it is used today. Arthur S. Barclay’s work in collecting and discovering the taxol molecule from the bark of the yew tree on the Pacific coast of Washington set in motion many stages of synthesis and debate over the molecule.
Paclitaxel, a derivative of the pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia, is a remarkably effective but controversial cancer treatmenting drug. The history associated with paclitaxel is one of a tremendous battle between three groups: environmentalists, who lobby for an alternate way of creating the drug; scientists, who feel the drug is particuarily effective on breast and ovarian cancers; and congressmen, who juggle the two sides in a perpetual game of ethics. Removing paclitaxel from external politics and ethics, the drug is effective because it is a mitotic inhibitor, that stops the growth of the cancer cell through hyper-stabilization of the cell. The paclitaxel injection strongly affects rapidly reproducing cancer cells because the drug is particuarily effective at disrupting the cell division in both the cytoskeleton of the cell and by docking at the specific protein responsible for cell building. Paclitaxel’s effectiveness, though controversial in its development, is key to the history of cancer treatment over the past 50 years and is a drug of remarkable dimensions, both histroically and biochemically.
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