title: Tubulin-interactive natural products as anticancer agents.
abstract: This review provides an overview of the discovery, structures, and biological activities of anticancer natural products that act by inhibiting or promoting the assembly of tubulin to microtubules. The emphasis is on providing recent information on those compounds in clinical use or in advanced clinical trials. The vinca alkaloids, the combretastatins, NPI-2358, the halichondrin B analogue eribulin, dolastatin 10, noscapine, hemiasterlin, and rhizoxin are discussed as tubulin polymerization inhibitors, while the taxanes and the epothilones are the major classes of tubulin polymerization promoters presented, with brief treatments of discodermolide, eleutherobin, and laulimalide. The challenges and future directions of tubulin-interactive natural products-based drug discovery programs are also discussed briefly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, M/C 0212, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0212, USA. dkingston@vt.edu
authors.forename: David G I
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kingston
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D054659:Diketopiperazines; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010879:Piperazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001688:Biological Products; D054659:Diketopiperazines; D007093:Imidazoles; C514351:NPI 2358; D010879:Piperazines; D014404:Tubulin; D014748:Vinca Alkaloids