Paclitaxel News and Research

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Paclitaxel is a drug used to treat breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and AIDS-related Kaposi sarcoma. It is also used together with another drug to treat non-small cell lung cancer. Paclitaxel is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. It blocks cell growth by stopping cell division and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimitotic agent. Also called Taxol.

The Paclitaxel compound is extracted from the Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia with antineoplastic activity. Paclitaxel binds to tubulin and inhibits the disassembly of microtubules, thereby resulting in the inhibition of cell division. This agent also induces apoptosis by binding to and blocking the function of the apoptosis inhibitor protein Bcl-2 (B-cell Leukemia 2). Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent.

USP15 enzyme emerges as potential target for ovarian cancer treatment

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed after it has already spread to other parts of the body, at which point the five-year survival rate is under 30 percent.

24 Sep 2026

Psilocybin protects sensory nerves from chemotherapy damage in preclinical study

In mouse models, prophylactic psilocybin prevented or reduced multiple features of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, with cycle-matched dosing sustaining protection during repeated cisplatin exposure without measurably affecting tumor growth. Experiments in human-derived sensory neurons and ex vivo peripheral nerves linked the effect to 5-HT2A-dependent preservation of mitochondrial trafficking and local axonal energy supply, while a nonhallucinogenic 5-HT2A agonist reproduced protection against mechanical hypersensitivity.

6 Sep 2026

Study links thymus radiation to worse lung cancer outcomes

Until recently, the thymus was thought to be of little use beyond puberty, but new research has shown that radiation to the organ is associated with worse outcomes in patients being treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

25 Aug 2026

Dual immunotherapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy shows encouraging activity in ERBB2-negative breast cancer

A combination of two immunotherapy drugs showed encouraging activity when added to standard chemotherapy given prior to surgery for patients with high-risk, early-stage HER2-negative breast cancer, according to phase 2 clinical trial results from the ongoing I-SPY2 clinical trial platform.

30 Jul 2026

Phase 3 clinical trial enrolls first platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patient

The GOG Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the enrollment of the first patient in GOG-3132/BEHOLD-Ovarian01 (NCT07286266), a global Phase 3 clinical trial titled A Randomized, Open-label, Multicenter, Phase 3 Study to Investigate Mocertatug Rezetecan Compared With Standard of Care in Participants with Platinum-resistant Ovarian Cancer.

27 Jul 2026

Excess tubulin disrupts tissue organization and cell survival

A UNIGE study shows that even a slight overproduction of tubulin, a protein essential for cell structure, is enough to disrupt tissue organization, highlighting the need for tight regulation of protein levels.

22 Jul 2026

Targeted therapy shows promise against KRAS-driven metastatic pancreatic cancer

An investigational targeted therapy designed to block one of the most common genetic drivers of pancreatic cancer has shown promising early results when combined with standard first-line chemotherapy, according to research presented today at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2026.

3 Jul 2026

Lipid nanoparticles enhance immune response against lung cancer

Researchers at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy have developed a new strategy that helps the immune system recognize and attack lung cancer tumors more effectively.

25 Jun 2026

Pembrolizumab combination therapy improves survival in recurrent endometrial cancer patients

Previously, immature overall survival results of the NRG Oncology GY018 (NRG-GY018) trial suggested that the use of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy improved overall survival for patients with advanced stage or recurrent endometrial cancer when compared to chemotherapy alone.

29 May 2026

New study tests vitamin D analog against pancreatic cancer

A small clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers put a Salk Institute idea to the test in patients: that activating the vitamin D receptor can help reshape the protective environment surrounding pancreatic tumors in ways that could make the notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer more vulnerable to therapeutic treatments.

26 May 2026

Experimental drug shows survival benefit in pancreatic cancer trial

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and among the hardest to treat, with most patients surviving less than a year after diagnosis.

14 Apr 2026

Letrozole monotherapy falls short in ovarian cancer clinical trial

Late breaking results from the phase III NRG GY019 trial indicate that letrozole monotherapy (L) did not demonstrate non inferiority to paclitaxel/carboplatin followed by letrozole (PC/L) for progression free survival (PFS) in patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IV low grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum.

11 Apr 2026

Damon Runyon supports young scientists driving cancer research innovation

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named 13 new Damon Runyon Fellows, exceptional postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators.

11 Apr 2026

Insilico Medicine nominates AI-driven drug candidate for cancer, Cushing's syndrome and obesity

The NR3C1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1) gene encodes the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a nuclear receptor vital for maintaining physiological homeostasis, and inhibition of NR3C1 could increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to standard chemotherapy, particularly in ovarian cancer.

8 Apr 2026

Researchers develop targeted delivery system for poorly soluble cancer drugs

Recent advances in drug discovery research have led to the development of numerous drug candidate compounds with high therapeutic efficacy.

16 Mar 2026

Clinical trial aims to improve survival for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer

A newly approved National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trial aims to improve survival for head and neck cancer patients whose disease returns after radiation therapy – a setback that affects up to 40% of patients and is often associated with poor outcomes.

27 Jan 2026

Pitavastatin shows pomise in overcoming chemotherapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is among the most aggressive types of breast cancer, lacking estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors and thus relying primarily on cytotoxic chemotherapy.

7 Jan 2026

CT-based quantification of tumor fibrosis guides chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer

On October 3, 2025, a multicenter team from Shenzhen University, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, among others jointly reported a novel noninvasive method for quantifying tumor fibrosis based on preoperative enhanced CT.

23 Dec 2025

Remodeling the tumor microenvironment to unlock CAR-T cell potential

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has revolutionized hematologic cancer treatment, but its efficacy in solid tumors remains limited by poor infiltration into the complex tumor microenvironment (TME).

22 Dec 2025