INSILICO ANALYSIS OF VINCA ALKALOIDS AS ANTIMITOTIC AND ANTI-MICROTUBULE AGENTS: A POTENTIAL CURE FOR CANCER

Vinca alkaloids are a subset of drugs obtained from the Madagascar periwinkle plant, Catharanthus roseus and have hypoglycemic as well as cytotoxic effects. They are used for treating diabetes, high blood pressure and have been used as disinfectants. The vinca alkaloids are important for being cancer fighters, as they work by inhibiting the ability of cancer cells to divide. Upon acting on tubulin, they prevent the formation of microtubules, an essential component for cellular division. . There are four major vinca alkaloids in clinical use: Vinblastine (VBL), vinorelbine (VRL), vincristine (VCR) and vindesine (VDS). Vinblastine is most often used to treat breast cancer and germ cell tumors. Vinorelbine has exhibited significant antitumor activity in patients with breast cancer and anti proliferation effects on osteosarcoma (bone tumor cells). Vincristine is FDA approved to treat Wilm’s tumor, acute leukaemia and other lymphomas. Vindesine is used in the treatment of melanoma, lung cancers and uterine cancers. Vinflunine is used for the treatment of second-line transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium. In the present study Tubulin Alpha-Beta was used for docking studies with the above said alkaloids. Auto dock binding energies and binding interactions of the Vinca alkaloids indicate that Vinblastine is the most probable inhibitor of   Tubulin Alpha-Beta.