The taxanes are diterpenes produced by the plants of the genus Taxus (yews). As their name suggests, they were first derived from natural sources, but some have been synthesized artificially. Taxanes include paclitaxel (Taxol) and docetaxel (Taxotere). Paclitaxel was originally derived from the Pacific yew tree. Taxanes have been used to produce various chemotherapy drugs. The principal mechanism of action of the taxane class of drugs is the disruption of microtubule function. Microtubules are essential to cell division, and taxanes stabilize GDP-bound tubulin in the microtubule, thereby inhibiting the process of cell division — a "frozen mitosis"...