Inhibitors of the mitotic kinesin spindle protein

Small molecule inhibitors of kinesin spindle protein (KSP), a kinesin essential to mitotic spindle formation, arrest cell cycle progression and the proliferation of tumour cells in vitro and in vivo, and thus demonstrate potential as novel antimitotic agents. Recently, KSP inhibitors of wide structural diversity have appeared in the patent literature. This review covers issued patents and patent applications that disclose novel small molecule inhibitors of the mitotic kinesin KSP that appeared between 2001 and July 2004.