This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sasaki, J.-i. Articles by Mukhopadhyay, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sasaki, J.-i. Articles by Mukhopadhyay, T.

Section of Thoracic Molecular Oncology, Departments of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery [J. S., R. R., Y. G., J. A. R., T. M.] and Molecular and Cellular Oncology [J. A. R.], The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Introgen Therapeutics Inc. [S. C.], Houston, Texas 77030

Microtubules have a critical role in cell division, and consequently various microtubule inhibitors have been developed as anticancer drugs. In this study, we assess mebendazole (MZ), a microtubule-disrupting anthelmintic that exhibits a potent antitumor property both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of lung cancer cell lines with MZ caused mitotic arrest, followed by apoptotic cell death with the feature of caspase activation and cytochrome c release. MZ induces abnormal spindle formation in mitotic cancer cells and enhances the depolymerization of tubulin, but the efficacy of depolymerization by MZ is lower than that by nocodazole. Oral administration of MZ in mice elicited a strong antitumor effect in a s.c. model and reduced lung colonies in experimentally induced lung metastasis without any toxicity when compared with paclitaxel-treated mice. We speculate that tumor cells may be defective in one mitotic checkpoint function and sensitive to the spindle inhibitor MZ. Abnormal spindle formation may be the key factor determining whether a cell undergoes apoptosis, whereas strong microtubule inhibitors elicit toxicity even in normal cells.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Hossein Pourgholami, Z. Yan Cai, Y. Lu, L. Wang, and D. Lawson Morris Albendazole: a Potent Inhibitor of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Malignant Ascites Formation in OVCAR-3 Tumor-Bearing Nude Mice. Clin. Cancer Res., March 15, 2006; 12(6): 1928 - 1935. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Teraishi, S. Wu, L. Zhang, W. Guo, J. J. Davis, F. Dong, and B. Fang Identification of a Novel Synthetic Thiazolidin Compound Capable of Inducing c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase-Dependent Apoptosis in Human Colon Cancer Cells Cancer Res., July 15, 2005; 65(14): 6380 - 6387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Sun, I. Betzendahl, F. Pacchierotti, R. Ranaldi, J. Smitz, R. Cortvrindt, and U. Eichenlaub-Ritter Aneuploidy in mouse metaphase II oocytes exposed in vivo and in vitro in preantral follicle culture to nocodazole Mutagenesis, January 1, 2005; 20(1): 65 - 75. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]