Abstract

Mitotic catastrophe is a mechanism of cell death that occurs during mitosis when cells experience severe mitotic stress, often due to DNA damage, defective spindle assembly, or improper chromosome segregation. In the context of cancer, the high rate of mitotic errors makes cancer cells particularly susceptible to mitotic catastrophe. This article explores the role of mitotic catastrophe in cancer therapy and the strategies to harness it for targeted cancer treatment. Microtubule-targeting agents, DNA-damaging agents, checkpoint inhibitors, and Aurora kinase inhibitors are some of the therapeutic agents that can induce mitotic catastrophe in cancer cells. By selectively targeting cancer cells, these agents offer the potential to improve therapeutic outcomes while minimizing harm to normal tissues. However, challenges such as selective targeting, resistance mechanisms, and the identification of biomarkers for response need to be addressed for the successful implementation of these treatments. This approach represents a promising frontier in cancer therapy, with the potential to revolutionize treatment protocols and enhance patient outcomes.