SUMMARY
Paclitaxel, a natural lipophilic diterpenoid, is currently used in chemotherapy for treatment of some cancers. Paclitaxel acts by blocking the cell cycle at the G1 and M phases and prompts apoptosis. Previously reported studies (Fowler, et al., 2000; McCloskey, et al., 1996) showed that paclitaxel is effective in the treatment of breast cancer and can mediate growth-inhibitory impact of anti-proliferative agents. In our current project we are determining methods to develop and apply 3-dimensional spheroidal cell cultures of the human breast cancer cell line, Hs578T, as a means to investigate the effects of paclitaxel on Hs578T. These methods will be utilized to study, over time, cell viability and morphology in an attempt to more closely mimic in vivo cancer growth under in vitro conditions (Morales & Alpaugh, 2009).(Supported by NIH Grant P20GM103434 to the West Virginia IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence and from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission Division of Science and Research SURE Grant Program.)