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Sulfonylureas (SUs)—a class of drugs primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes—have recently attracted interest for their potential anticancer properties. While some studies have explored the chemical modification or design of new SU derivatives, our work instead centers on biological evaluations of all commercially available SUs in combination with doxorubicin (DOXO). These antidiabetic agents act by stimulating insulin secretion via KATP channel inhibition, and because KATP channels share structural features with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters involved in multidrug resistance (e.g., P-glycoprotein, MRP1, and MRP2), SUs may also reduce cancer cell drug efflux. In this study, we systematically examined each commercially available SU for potential synergy with DOXO in a panel of human cancer cell lines. Notably, combining DOXO with glimepiride (GLIM), the newest SU, results in a 4.4-fold increase in cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells relative to DOXO alone. Mechanistic studies suggest that the observed synergy may arise from increased intracellular accumulation of DOXO. Preliminary in vivo experiments support these findings, showing that DOXO (5 mg/kg, i.v.) plus GLIM (4 mg/kg, i.p.) is more effective at inhibiting 4T1 tumor growth in mice than DOXO alone. Additionally, we show that adding a small amount of the surfactant Tween-80 to culture media affects SU binding to bovine serum albumin (BSA), potentially unmasking anticancer effects of SUs that strongly bind to proteins. Overall, these results underscore the potential of repurposing existing SUs to enhance standard chemotherapy regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Docetaxel (Taxotere), a new semisynthetic taxoid, is a mitotic inhibitor, widely used in monotherapy or in combination with other anticancer drugs against many types of cancer. The structure and dynamics of microtubules as the main target for docetaxel activity inside the cell and the taxane-binding site on β-tubulin are discussed. Microtubules are highly dynamic assemblies of α- and β-tubulin. They readily polymerize and depolymerize in cells and these dynamic behaviours are crucial to cell mitosis. Microtubule instability is attributed to their capability to hydrolyze GTP to GDP, which causes their depolymerization. Addition of new α-, β-tubulin heterodimer bound to GTP leads to tubulin polymerization, which increases the length of the microtubule. Docetaxel alters the polymerization dynamics of microtubules, which causes blockage of cell mitosis, and consequently induces apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. Docetaxel specifically acts on the S, M and G2 phases of the cell cycle. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge related to the molecular mechanisms of docetaxel action on the cell cycle and microtubule dynamics. In addition, a brief survey of the present state of research on the new generation (2nd and 3rd) of taxanes is presented.