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Review
. 2021 Oct 18:2021:3687700.
doi: 10.1155/2021/3687700. eCollection 2021.

Paclitaxel: Application in Modern Oncology and Nanomedicine-Based Cancer Therapy

Javad Sharifi-Rad  1 , Cristina Quispe  2 , Jayanta Kumar Patra  3 , Yengkhom Disco Singh  4 , Manasa Kumar Panda  5 , Gitishree Das  3 , Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji  6 , Olugbenga Samuel Michael  7 , Oksana Sytar  8   9 , Letizia Polito  10 , Jelena Živković  11 , Natália Cruz-Martins  12   13   14 , Marta Klimek-Szczykutowicz  15 , Halina Ekiert  15 , Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary  16 , Seyed Abdulmajid Ayatollahi  1   16   17 , Bekzat Tynybekov  18 , Farzad Kobarfard  1   19 , Ana Covilca Muntean  20 , Ioana Grozea  20 , Sevgi Durna Daştan  21   22 , Monica Butnariu  20 , Agnieszka Szopa  15 , Daniela Calina  23
Affiliations
Review

Paclitaxel: Application in Modern Oncology and Nanomedicine-Based Cancer Therapy

Javad Sharifi-Rad et al. Oxid Med Cell Longev. .

Abstract

Paclitaxel is a broad-spectrum anticancer compound, which was derived mainly from a medicinal plant, in particular, from the bark of the yew tree Taxus brevifolia Nutt. It is a representative of a class of diterpene taxanes, which are nowadays used as the most common chemotherapeutic agent against many forms of cancer. It possesses scientifically proven anticancer activity against, e.g., ovarian, lung, and breast cancers. The application of this compound is difficult because of limited solubility, recrystalization upon dilution, and cosolvent-induced toxicity. In these cases, nanotechnology and nanoparticles provide certain advantages such as increased drug half-life, lowered toxicity, and specific and selective delivery over free drugs. Nanodrugs possess the capability to buildup in the tissue which might be linked to enhanced permeability and retention as well as enhanced antitumour influence possessing minimal toxicity in normal tissues. This article presents information about paclitaxel, its chemical structure, formulations, mechanism of action, and toxicity. Attention is drawn on nanotechnology, the usefulness of nanoparticles containing paclitaxel, its opportunities, and also future perspective. This review article is aimed at summarizing the current state of continuous pharmaceutical development and employment of nanotechnology in the enhancement of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of paclitaxel as a chemotherapeutic agent.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A diagram regarding the correlation between different factors (environmental, intrinsic), inflammation processes, and the effects on tissues. Abbreviations: ROS—reactive oxygen species; RNI—reactive nitrogen species; IL-6—interleukin 6; TNF-α—tumour necrosis alfa; IL-1β—interleukin 1β; IL-22—interleukin-22; STAT3—signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; NF-κB—nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells; ERK—extracellular signal-related kinase.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summarized scheme regarding side effects of PTX nanoformulations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Risk factors for cancer development.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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