Illustration of a taxol molecule (foreground, ball-and-stick model) and microtubules (blue and yellow, background). Taxol is an anti-cancer drug which stabilises microtubules in cells, disrupting their disassembly. This action results in chromosomes being unable to achieve a metaphase spindle configuration disrupting the progression of cell division (mitosis). Taxol can also prevent the microtubule detachment from centrosomes, a process normally activated during mitosis.