This study aimed at examining whether βIII-tubulin (TUBB3), present in various types of normal tissues and cancer, is a biomarker for the response of colorectal neoplasms to paclitaxel.
Among them, the βIII isotype is overexpressed in many aggressive and metastatic cancers and may serve as a prognostic marker in certain types of cancer.
We discuss several groups of compounds that have been designed to differentially bind with specific affinities for tubulin β isotypes, especially in regard to βIII, which is commonly over-expressed in cancer.
Increased abundance of βII- and βIII-tubulin isotypes in cancer cells confers resistance to vinca and taxoid site drugs; however, the role of these isotypes in the acquired resistance of cancer cells to non-vinca or non-taxoid site binding agents has not been described.