Microtubule poisons are widely used in cancer treatment, but the factors determining the relative efficacy of different drugs in this class remain obscure. In this study, we identified the NIMA kinase Nek4 in a genetic screen for mediators of the response to Taxol, a chemotherapeutic agent that stabilizes microtubules. After Taxol treatment, Nek4 promoted microtubule outgrowth, whereas Nek4 def...

Indian Snake-poisons, their Nature and Effects By A. J. YVali, m. d. f Dond.), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England ; of the Medical Staff H. At.'s Indian Army* This work, which is dedicated to Sir Joseph Fayrer, is in many respects a distinct advance upon our knowledge of snake-poisons, and especially so in those chapters in which the characteristic physiological effects of the v...

Spindle poisons, such as paclitaxel and vinblastine, exert their potent anti-neoplastic effects through activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), thereby arresting cells in mitosis. Unfortunately, only certain cancers are susceptible to these drugs, and many patients fail to respond to treatment. We review the pathways that are triggered by spindle poisons and highlight recent studie...

Strictly speaking, all toxins entering the environment can be regarded as environmental poisons. Certain pollutants can, acting over long periods, harm living organisms even in low concentrations. This means that pollutants that are stable and thus persistent have a great ability to act as environmental poisons. Their stability means not only that their effects are long-lasting, but also that t...

venomous snakes. ByA.J?^all, M. D. (Lond.), Surgeon R. M. Indian Army." Br. Wall having observed that hitherto no clear distinction had been recognised to exist between the actions of the poisons of the various species of venomous reptiles, undertook the task of submitting the poisons of the Cobra and Daboia to a close and searching investigation. That he has performed the task with extreme car...