taxane

noun

tax·ane ˈtak-ˌsān

: any of various tricyclic compounds (as docetaxel and paclitaxel) with anticancer activity that are obtained from yew trees (genus Taxus) or are made synthetically

Note: Taxanes act by binding tubulin, thereby promoting microtubule formation and arresting cell division.

The taxanes are an important new class of anticancer agents that exert their cytotoxic effects through a unique mechanism.—

Eric K. Rowinsky and Ross C. Donehower, The New England Journal of Medicine

Some cancers, though, are armored against taxanes: Their cell membranes carry a multiple-drug-resistance pump that identifies taxanes as a threat and pumps them out before they can infiltrate the cell.—

Jonathan Fahey, Forbes