ABSTRACT
Mitosis, the process whereby a eukaryotic cell separates its replicated chromosomes into identical sets and segregates them to two offspring, has long been an attractive chemotherapy target. The past decade has seen the development of drugs targeting proteins crucial in cell division. Among these, drugs targeting mitotic kinases have received special attention (Harrison et al., 2009). The clinical efficacy of agents targeting microtubules (MTs) and the belief tumors harbor a large fraction of actively dividing cells provided support for this focus. However, as our knowledge and appreciation of the complexities of a cell have increased, we recognize a more nuanced view than targeting of cell division is more appropriate. In this chapter, we describe the basic science that supported the development of drugs targeting mitosis and review their clinical fate.
