Blocking cell division through the inhibition of mitosis is one of the most successful clinical strategies for the treatment of cancer. Taxanes and vinca alkaloids are in widespread use and have demonstrated substantive therapeutic efficacy. Both classes of compounds bind directly to tubulin, a structural component of the mitotic spindle. The ubiquitous utilization of tubulin in cell division i...

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. Peloruside A (PLA) and laulimalide are the only known non-taxoid site microtubule-stabilizing agents. A human ovarian cancer c...

Dementias and other severe cognitive dysfunction states pose a daunting challenge to existing medical management strategies. An integrative, early intervention approach seems warranted. Whereas, allopathic treatment options are highly limited, nutritional and botanical therapies are available which have proven degrees of efficacy and generally favorable benefit-to-risk profiles. This review cov...

Vincristine, an alkaloid of periwinkle plant (vinca) used in the treatment of various malignancies. The experimental group included 36 male wistar albino rats. The animals were divided into four groups of nine animals each. The animals received same dose of vincristine 1 mg/kg b.w. given intragastrically through a ne rubber catheter reaching lower third of oesophagus. Equal number of controls ...

Carrot purple leaf disease was first reported in 2006 in the state of Washington and was associated with Spiroplasma citri. The disease also was reported in California in 2008. The objectives of this work were to fulfill Koch's postulates and to determine 1) whether the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus (Baker) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), transmits carrot [Daucus carota L. subsp. Sativus (Hof...

In this note we investigate some matroid minor structure results. In particular, we present sufficient conditions, in terms of triangles, for a matroid to have either U2,4 or F7 or M(K5) as a minor.