Survival and apoptotic signals in the action of microtubule-targeting antitumor drugs.

Microtubule-targeting agents include some of the most successful drugs in cancer chemotherapy, such as taxanes. However, the development of drug resistance has prompted the search for novel therapeutics. The hallmark of microtubule-interfering drugs is mitotic arrest that eventually leads to apoptosis. The interaction between apoptosis and the cell cycle is essential to preserve homeostasis and genomic integrity, and offers new targets for cancer treatment. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism that couples microtubule damage to the onset of apoptosis is expected to reveal novel sites of therapeutic intervention. Microtubule damage induces both survival and pro-apoptotic signals, and inhibition of survival signaling could improve the efficacy of microtubule-targeting agents.