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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel
06:44

Generation of Prostate Cancer Cell Models of Resistance to the Anti-mitotic Agent Docetaxel

Published on: September 8, 2017

Mitotic catastrophe and apoptosis induced by docetaxel in hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells

Francesco Fabbri1, Dino Amadori, Silvia Carloni

  • 1Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (I.R.S.T.), Meldola (FC), Italy.

Journal of Cellular Physiology
|July 11, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Docetaxel (Doc) triggers apoptosis in prostate cancer cells via mitotic catastrophe. This involves cell cycle changes, p21 expression, and caspase activation, leading to programmed cell death.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Mechanisms

Background:

  • Docetaxel (Doc) is an effective chemotherapy agent for various cancers.
  • The precise sequence of events leading to Doc-induced cell death, particularly mitotic catastrophe, remains unclear.
  • Understanding Doc's mechanism is crucial for optimizing prostate cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanisms by which Docetaxel induces cell death in hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells.
  • To analyze cell cycle perturbations, apoptosis markers, and morphological changes following Doc treatment.
  • To determine if mitotic catastrophe is a terminal event or precedes other cell death pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells with Docetaxel.
  • Cell cycle analysis to detect perturbations.
  • Assessment of apoptosis-related markers (e.g., Bcl-2 phosphorylation, caspase activation).
  • Morphological examination of cellular alterations.

Main Results:

  • Docetaxel induced a transient G2/M phase arrest followed by G0/1 diploid cells and increased p21 expression.
  • Time- and dose-dependent apoptosis was observed in up to 70% of cells.
  • Bcl-2 phosphorylation preceded the activation of caspase-2 and caspase-3.

Conclusions:

  • Docetaxel triggers apoptosis in hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells through mitotic catastrophe.
  • This process involves distinct forms of mitotic exit, increased p21 expression, and caspase-2 activation.
  • The findings clarify the sequence of events in Doc-induced cell death, highlighting its role in apoptosis.

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