# Tubulin (microtubules)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/tubulin/  
OnCo record `tubulin` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The protein that builds the microtubule scaffolding a cell needs to pull its chromosomes apart. Taxanes freeze the scaffold and vinca alkaloids and eribulin stop it forming; either way the dividing cell stalls and dies.

## Summary

Alpha and beta tubulin dimers assemble into microtubules, the dynamic fibres that form the mitotic spindle, move cargo and shape the cell. Taxanes such as paclitaxel and docetaxel bind beta tubulin and lock microtubules in place; vinca alkaloids such as vincristine and the halichondrin analogue eribulin bind the growing ends and stop assembly. Both leave the spindle unable to segregate chromosomes, triggering mitotic arrest. The same mechanism carries the MMAE payload of brentuximab vedotin and enfortumab vedotin and the maytansinoid payload of trastuzumab emtansine. Peripheral neuropathy, from microtubule damage in long axons, is the shared dose-limiting toxicity.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Symbol: TUBB
- Class: other
- Biology: Heterodimeric building block of microtubules; drug binding at the taxane, vinca or maytansine site disrupts spindle dynamics.
- Where found: Every dividing cell; the basis of taxane, vinca alkaloid, eribulin and tubulin-payload antibody-drug conjugate therapy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubulin
- UniProt P07437: TUBB: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P07437/entry

## Connected records

- cancers: [Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia](https://onco.cc/cancers/all-leukemia/), [HR-positive / HER2-negative breast cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/breast-hr-positive/), [Non-small-cell lung cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/nsclc/), [Ovarian cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/ovarian/)
- drugs: [Depatuxizumab mafodotin](https://onco.cc/drugs/depatuxizumab-mafodotin/), [Docetaxel](https://onco.cc/drugs/docetaxel/), [Eribulin](https://onco.cc/drugs/eribulin/), [Estramustine](https://onco.cc/drugs/estramustine/), [Paclitaxel / nab-paclitaxel](https://onco.cc/drugs/paclitaxel/), [Utidelone](https://onco.cc/drugs/utidelone/), [Vincristine](https://onco.cc/drugs/vincristine/), [Vindesine](https://onco.cc/drugs/vindesine/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/tubulin.json