Colchicine
M3460
Brand
No Brand
Description
Colchicine is a microtubule polymerization inhibitor with an IC50 of 3 nM. Colchicine is a toxic natural product and secondary metabolite, originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum. Colchicine inhibited stimulated endothelial adhesiveness via its effects on microtubules since vinblastine, an agent which perturbs microtubule function by other mechanisms, diminished adhesiveness whereas the photoinactivated colchicine derivative gamma-lumicolchicine was inactive. Colchicine (Colchineos, Colchisol, Colcin) had no effect on cell viability. At higher, therapeutic, concentrations colchicine (IC50 = 300 nM, P < 0.001) also diminished the expression of L-selectin on the surface of neutrophils (but not lymphocytes) without affecting expression of the beta 2-integrin CD11b/CD18. Since one of the defining characteristics of cancer cells is a significantly increased rate of mitosis, this means that cancer cells are significantly more vulnerable to colchicine poisoning than are normal cells. However, the therapeutic value of colchicine against cancer is (as is typical with chemotherapy agents) limited by its toxicity against normal cells.
Application
Reactivity
