Tubulin inhibitor
Tubulin polymerization inhibitor
- Impairs mitosis → antimitotic
- Impairs neutrophil trafficking → anti-inflammatory
- Narrow therapeutic index
- Fatal in overdose
- Toxicity rises sharply with CYP3A4 or P-gp inhibitors
- Disrupted axonal transport → peripheral neuropathy
Drugs with this mechanism (3)
- Colchicine — Anti-inflammatory for gout and pericarditis; microtubule inhibitor, narrow index.
- Tirbanibulin — Short-course topical treatment for actinic keratoses on the face or scalp; disrupts microtubules and commonly causes local inflammation.
- Vincristine — Vinca-alkaloid chemotherapy; dose-limiting peripheral neuropathy, fatal if intrathecal.
Self-check
- Which cell-trafficking effect explains anti-inflammatory activity?
Impaired neutrophil trafficking. - Why can tubulin disruption cause peripheral neuropathy?
Disrupted axonal transport.
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