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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Functional Evaluation of Biological Neurotoxins in Networked Cultures of Stem Cell-derived Central Nervous System Neurons
Published on: February 5, 2015
Experimental epothilone B neurotoxicity: results of in vitro and in vivo studies
Alessia Chiorazzi1, Gabriella Nicolini, Annalisa Canta
1Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Technologies, University of Milan Bicocca, Monza, Italy. a.chiorazzi@campus.unimib.it
Abstract:
Epothilones are a novel class of microtubule-targeting anticancer agents that are neurotoxic. In this study, we investigated the epothilone B toxic effect in vitro and we characterized in vivo the general and neurological side effects of epothilone B administration in Wistar and Fischer rats. The in vitro experiments made it possible to explore a wide concentration range (0.1 nM-1 muM) and evidenced a dose-dependent effect of epothilone B exposure on neuron neurite elongation. This dose-dependent neurotoxic effect was confirmed in both in vivo studies performed on two different rat strains at the neurophysiological, behavioral and pathological levels in the dose range 0.25-1.5 mg/kg iv weekly x 4 weeks and tubulin hyper-polymerization was demonstrated in sciatic nerve specimens. These are the first studies of the neurological effects of epothilone B and they can provide a basis for extending pre-clinical investigation to other members of the epothilone family.
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