NOSCAPINE ANALOGS AND THEIR USE IN TREATING CANCERS

Compounds, pharmaceutical compositions including the compounds, and methods of preparation and use thereof are disclosed. The compounds are noscapine analogs. The compounds and compositions can be used to treat and/or prevent a wide variety of cancers, including drug resistant cancers. While the antitussive plant alkaloid, noscapine, binds tubulin, displays anticancer activity, and has a safe pharmacological profile in humans, structure-function analyses pointed to a proton at position 9 of the isoquinoline ring that can be modified without compromising tubulin binding activity. Noscapine analogs with various functional moieties at position 9 on the isoquinoline ring kill human cancer cells resistant to other anti-microtubule agents, such as vincas and taxanes.