Sperm Motility as a Screening Strategy for the Identification of Microtubule Targeting Drugs

Microtubule targeting drugs are considered as successful anticancer agents. The hunt for novel microtubules targeting agents is an exciting anticancer research area, as new drugs, may not only show better potency and bioavailability but may also differentially affect the microtubule assembly and thus provide new insights about microtubule dynamics and polymer biology. Cold liable nature of microtubules is bases for tubulin isolation and screening of novel tubulin binding agents. Direct effect of different compounds on microtubule architecture and mitotic index in MCF-7/HeLa cell cultures is also used as a screening strategy. SRB/MTT assays that measure cell proliferation are also used as preliminary screening strategy to determine the effect of different compounds on cell proliferation for identifying microtubule targeting agents. Keeping in view the complexity of these assay systems, the possibility of sperm motility as a screening strategy for identifying the novel microtubule targeting drugs/agents was explored. So, the effect of known microtubule targeting agents on sperm motility was determined. The results suggest that nocodazole and colchicine does not affect sperm motility, thusimpairment in sperm motility cannot be developed as a general method for screening of microtubule targeting drugs. However, curcumin was identified as a potent compound affecting sperm motility, indicating the possibility that in future curcumin or its derivatives might be used as natural contraceptives. Aijaz Rashid"Sperm Motility as a Screening Strategy for the Identification of Microtubule Targeting Drugs" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-1 | Issue-4 , June 2017, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd2209.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/biological-science/cell-biology/2209/sperm-motility-as-a-screening-strategy-for-the-identification-of-microtubule-targeting-drugs/aijaz-rashid