Illustration of taxol binding to a tubulin molecule. Tubulin is a dimer consisting of alpha (green) and beta (yellow) subunits. Tubulin molecules combine into microtubules forming part of the cytoskeleton. The anti-cancer drug taxol (white, red and blue stick model) stabilises the tubulin when it is bound to guanosine diphosphate (GDP, yellow and red stick model) disrupting the disassembly of microtubules. This action results in chromosomes being unable to achieve a metaphase spindle configuration disrupting the progression of cell division (mitosis). Taxol is used to treat ovarian, breast and non-small cell lung cancer.