Researchers have found that addition of paclitaxel (a type of antitumoral drug) to microtubules alters their structure. This compound modulates the material properties of microtubules by converting destabilized growing microtubule ends into regions resistant to depolymerisation, eventually leading to cell death. Results were obtained at the NCD beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron.
Paclitaxel, one of the most commonly used antitumoural drugs, modulates microtubules, the biopolymers responsible for many essential cellular functions including cell division, movement and intracellular transport. This kind of drugs target tubulin subunits, the main microtubule proteins, and interfere with their dynamics, which can have the effect of stopping a cell cycle and can lead to programmed cell death or apoptosis.
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Image: Microtubule X-ray fiber difractogram in presence of Paclitaxel.
Credit: NCD-SWEET beamline at ALBA Synchrotron