Mitotic machinery and cell cycle progression

The mitotic machinery and cell cycle progression encompass the complex, highly regulated sequence of events through which a eukaryotic cell replicates its DNA and divides into two daughter cells. This process is governed by a series of checkpoints and regulatory proteins, including cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins, and mitotic kinases such as Aurora and Polo-like kinases (PLKs) [Morgan, 2007; Malumbres & Barbacid, 2009]. In many diseases, particularly cancer, the control mechanisms of the cell cycle are subverted, leading to the hallmark of uncontrolled cellular proliferation [Hanahan & Weinberg, 2011]. Pharmacological intervention typically involves the use of antimitotic agents that disrupt the mitotic spindle (e.g., taxanes and vinca alkaloids) or targeted inhibitors that block specific phase transitions (e.g., CDK4/6 inhibitors) [Otto & Sicinski, 2017]. By arresting the cell cycle or inducing mitotic catastrophe, these drugs promote programmed cell death in hyperproliferative cells [Vitale et al., 2011]. However, because these processes are fundamental to all dividing cells, therapeutic use is often limited by toxicities in healthy, rapidly renewing tissues such as the bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract [Penna et al., 2018].

Other names

Cell cycle machineryMitotic apparatusCell cycle regulatory pathwayCell cycle control system

Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinases, disruption of microtubule dynamics, inhibition of mitotic spindle assembly, and blockade of cell cycle checkpoints.