Introduction to Paclitaxel | From Tree to Taxol | Paclitaxel and Cancer Treatment | Inside Paclitaxel: Physical Characteristics | Paclitaxel: Effective or Too Costly? | Paclitaxel’s Affect on History | History’s Affect on Paclitaxel | References
In 1979, Susan B. Horwitz’s publication on the true intermoleculear features of taxol, including the mitotic inhibition caused by the molecule upon injection, created a new interest in the molecule. The 80’s produced the first phases of efforts to analyze the affects of paclitaxel as a cancer treatment, which began preliminary trials in 1984. By 1988, phase II trials were underway, meaning an inceases in the amount of pacific yew tree bark needed to synthesize the molecule.