It appears to have no significant side effects, and it is without addiction liability. The microtubules are 25 nanometers in diameter, and composed of the protein tubulin. They occur in regular arrays in cilia, flagella, the mitotic spindle, and in the cytoplasm in general, and they contribute not only to cell shape, but also to cell motility.
Mitosis is cell division.
Nude mice are laboratory mice that lack a thymus gland, and are thus unable to produce mature immune system T-cells or coordinate immunological function. Furthermore, noscapine causes apoptosis in many cell types and has potent antitumor activity against solid mouse lymphoid tumors, and against human breast and bladder tumors implanted in nude mice. Because noscapine is water soluble and absorbed after oral administration, the authors suggest its chemotherapeutic potential in human cancer merits thorough evaluation.