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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics
Published on: May 14, 2016
Advances in mitotic inhibitors for cancer treatment
Ning Jiang1, Xiaoxing Wang, Yali Yang
1Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Basic Science Building, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
Abstract:
Based on their mechanism of action, anti-tumor drugs that target the cell cycle can be generally divided into three categories, namely, blocking DNA synthesis, causing DNA damage, and disrupting mitotic processes. In terms of mitotic inhibitors, most compounds used in the clinic impair the normal function of mitotic spindles by targeting tubulins, basic building blocks of microtubules. In vivo, these compounds often exhibit significant side effects, thus limiting their efficacy. Mitotic processes are under tight control through surveillance mechanisms commonly termed checkpoints. Defects in the regulation of these checkpoints often result in genomic instability, which predisposes the cell to malignant transformation. As cancer is the consequence of uncontrolled cell division, great efforts have been devoted to discover drugs that target mitosis, thereby halting cell division and inducing mitotic catastrophe with minimal cytotoxicity to non-dividing or normally dividing cells. This review primarily focuses on mitotic proteins that have been explored as new targets for anti-cancer drug development during the past decade.
Insights
New anti-cancer drugs targeting mitosis aim to halt cancer cell division. This review explores novel mitotic protein targets for developing effective cancer therapies with fewer side effects.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Anti-tumor drugs targeting the cell cycle are categorized by their mechanism: blocking DNA synthesis, causing DNA damage, or disrupting mitosis.
- Current mitotic inhibitors often target tubulins, impacting spindle function but causing significant side effects.
- Dysregulation of cell cycle checkpoints contributes to genomic instability and cancer development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging anti-cancer drug targets within mitotic processes.
- To highlight novel mitotic proteins investigated for therapeutic development over the last decade.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of anti-cancer drug development targeting mitosis.
- Focus on mitotic proteins explored as therapeutic targets in the past 10 years.
Main Results:
- Identification of various mitotic proteins as potential targets for anti-cancer drug development.
- Exploration of strategies to induce mitotic catastrophe with reduced cytotoxicity.
Conclusions:
- Targeting mitotic proteins offers a promising avenue for novel cancer therapies.
- Developing drugs that selectively target cancer cell division is crucial for improving treatment efficacy and minimizing side effects.
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