| Chapter title |
The Elephant in the Room: The Role of Microtubules in Cancer
|
|---|---|
| Chapter number | 5 |
| Book title |
Cell Division Machinery and Disease
|
| Published in |
Advances in experimental medicine and biology, June 2017
|
| DOI | 10.1007/978-3-319-57127-0_5 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Book ISBNs |
978-3-31-957125-6, 978-3-31-957127-0
|
| Authors |
Luca Cirillo, Monica Gotta, Patrick Meraldi |
| Editors |
Monica Gotta, Patrick Meraldi |
| Abstract |
Microtubules are the backbone of all eukaryotic cells cytoskeleton. Their dynamic behaviour constitutes the basis for many biological processes such as cellular motility, cytoplasmic transport and cell division. Some the most effective chemotherapeutics, such as the taxanes, are microtubule interfering drugs. Moreover, many studies suggest that microtubule dynamics are altered in cancer cell divisions and linked to chromosomal instability, aneuploidy and development of drug resistances. The elephant in the room, however, is that despite all these evidences, the exact role of microtubules in malignancies remains elusive, partially due to the lack of clear genetic alterations linking microtubules to cancer. This review will discuss the molecular mechanisms that might alter microtubule dynamics in cancer cells, the pro and cons of the different theories linking these alterations to cancer progression, and the possible directions to address future key questions. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 57 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 10 | 18% |
| Student > Master | 8 | 14% |
| Student > Bachelor | 7 | 12% |
| Researcher | 6 | 11% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 2 | 4% |
| Other | 5 | 9% |
| Unknown | 19 | 33% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 21 | 37% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 3 | 5% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 3 | 5% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2 | 4% |
| Chemistry | 2 | 4% |
| Other | 4 | 7% |
| Unknown | 22 | 39% |