| abstract |
A new family of inadone and tetralone tubulin-binding compounds (TBs) is disclosed. Unlike classical TBs, which inhibit mitosis among affected dividing cells, the TBs of the invention possess two unique properties: (1) they induce apoptosis among stationary phase (non-dividing) malignant cells, yet do not impair the viability of normal nonproliferating cells; and (2) they affect cells which have acquired MDR more powerfully than they affect cells without MDR. Thus, the TBs of the invention provide means to target malignant cells for chemotherapy, even after previous therapies have failed, without affecting normal cells and tissues in the host. |