Protein / target

Tubulin beta-6 chain

TUBB6Q9BUF5Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
25
Approved medicines
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Structural constituent of cytoskeleton

Primary system

Endocrine & metabolic

Strongest disease association

non-small cell lung carcinoma

Clinical evidence · score 0.61

Therapeutic maturity

Clinically validated target

25 approved medicines against this target

Druggability

Small molecule

Open Targets tractability · Approved Drug

Clinical development

25 approved · 62 in clinical development

30 linked trials

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function

Tubulin is the major constituent of microtubules, a cylinder consisting of laterally associated linear protofilaments composed of alpha- and beta-tubulin heterodimers. Microtubules grow by the addition of GTP-tubulin dimers to the microtubule end, where a stabilizing cap forms. Below the cap, tubulin dimers are in GDP-bound state, owing to GTPase activity of alpha-tubulin

Subcellular location

Cytoplasm, cytoskeleton
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (12)

Gene Ontology

  • Ccytoplasm
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Cintercellular bridge
  • Cmicrotubule
  • Cmitotic spindle
  • Cnucleus
  • FGTP binding
  • FGTPase activity
  • Fmetal ion binding
  • Fstructural constituent of cytoskeleton
  • Pmicrotubule cytoskeleton organization
  • Pmitotic cell cycle

446 aa · 50 kDa

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Nuclear receptor signallingReactomeImmune signallingReactome
View supporting evidence

Nuclear receptor signalling

  • ·HSP90 chaperone cycle for steroid hormone receptors (SHR) in the presence of ligand

Immune signalling

  • ·MHC class II antigen presentation
View underlying pathways (25)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

TUBA1BTUBA1CTUBA1ATUBA4ATUBA8TUBAL3TUBA3DTUBA3EGJA1MAPTTUBB6

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Drugs targeting this protein

12

Whether each drug engages this protein directly or through a complex, and how many other targets are recorded for it. Direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

Colchicine
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving familial Mediterranean fever, gout, myocardial infarction, Stroke

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 15 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

polatuzumab vedotin
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, neoplasm

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

Paclitaxel
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving non-small cell lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, breast cancer, carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 15 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

tisotumab vedotin
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving cervical cancer, cervical cancer, cancer, neoplasm

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

docetaxel
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving breast carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 15 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

enfortumab vedotin
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving urothelial carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, neoplasm, urinary bladder carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

mirvetuximab soravtansine
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving ovarian cancer, ovarian neoplasm, fallopian tube neoplasm, peritoneal neoplasm

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

telisotuzumab vedotin
Phase 3Inhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving non-small cell lung carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, squamous cell lung carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

belantamab mafodotin
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving plasma cell myeloma, neoplasm, hematopoietic and lymphoid cell neoplasm, smoldering plasma cell myeloma

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

disitamab vedotin
Phase 3Disrupting agent

Tubulin disrupting agent

Appears in clinical studies involving breast cancer, urothelial carcinoma, gastric adenocarcinoma, gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 16 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

vinflunine
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving neoplasm, urothelial carcinoma, breast cancer, urogenital neoplasm

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 15 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

cabazitaxel
ApprovedInhibitor

Tubulin inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving prostate cancer, breast cancer, prostate neoplasm, neoplasm

Acts on a complex — shared with TUBB4B, TUBB1, TUBA4A +11 more · 1 of 15 recorded protein targets — broad pharmacology

ChEMBL mechanism, action type and target identity. Open Targets clinical status and indications.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically — disease associations, drugs in development, tractability and safety, from Open Targets.

Highest-confidence therapeutic associations

Diseases where a drug acting on this target has already reached clinical development.

non-small cell lung carcinoma0.99

Clinical · overall 0.61

breast cancer0.99

Clinical · overall 0.61

breast carcinoma0.98

Clinical · overall 0.60

prostate cancer0.97

Clinical · overall 0.59

neoplasm0.97

Clinical · overall 0.60

Highest overall evidence

Remaining associations by Open Targets' aggregated evidence score.

breast neoplasm0.59

Clinical

Hodgkins lymphoma0.59

Clinical

gout0.59

Clinical

cervical cancer0.58

Clinical

plasma cell myeloma0.58

Clinical

Show all associations
non-small cell lung carcinoma0.61
breast cancer0.61
breast carcinoma0.60
neoplasm0.60
prostate cancer0.59
breast neoplasm0.59
Hodgkins lymphoma0.59
gout0.59
cervical cancer0.58
plasma cell myeloma0.58

Open Targets ranks 648 associations for this target and we store the top 10 by aggregated score. The long tail is largely literature co-mention and RNA-expression evidence, not evidence that this target drives those diseases.

Known drugs · 88 total

MLN-2704Phase 1 2

prostate cancer

VORSETUZUMAB MAFODOTINPhase 1

renal cell carcinoma · non-Hodgkin lymphoma

T-900607Phase 2

hepatocellular carcinoma · ovarian cancer · non-Hodgkin lymphoma

SAGOPILONEPhase 2

breast cancer · ovarian cancer · prostate cancer

INDATUXIMAB RAVTANSINEPhase 2

plasma cell myeloma

FOSBRETABULIN DISODIUMPhase 2

neuroendocrine carcinoma · ovarian cancer · choroidal neovascularization

VINORELBINEApproval

neoplasm · non-small cell lung carcinoma · cervical carcinoma

LIFASTUZUMAB VEDOTINPhase 2

ovarian cancer · primary peritoneal carcinoma · fallopian tube cancer

COLCHICINEApproval

familial Mediterranean fever · gout · myocardial infarction

SAR-566658Phase 2

triple-negative breast carcinoma · breast cancer

Tractability

SM · Approved DrugSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Approved Drug

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein.

Show remaining trials (24)

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

Forefront confidence

Synthesis

Our own weighting of the evidence behind each disease association. Human genetics and clinical evidence count for most; literature co-mention counts for little, because two entities sharing an abstract is not evidence that one drives the other.

non-small cell lung carcinomaWell supported
0.75
agreement 0.620.89
Clinical97%RNA expression2%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.61 · 3 independent evidence families

breast cancerModerately supported
0.75
agreement 0.590.90
Clinical99%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.61 · 2 independent evidence families

breast carcinomaModerately supported
0.74
agreement 0.600.88
Clinical98%RNA expression1%Literature1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.60 · 3 independent evidence families

neoplasmModerately supported
0.74
agreement 0.580.89
Clinical96%Literature5%

Open Targets aggregate 0.60 · 2 independent evidence families

prostate cancerModerately supported
0.73
agreement 0.580.89
Clinical100%Literature0%

Open Targets aggregate 0.59 · 2 independent evidence families

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the underlying per-type scores are shown above so the calculation can be checked.

What's happening now

60

Recent activity around this target, drawn from one canonical event stream. Every item is reached through 10 drugs that target this protein, so each event is news about that drug rather than about the protein directly.

  1. Trial results posted2026-07-27

    Cemiplimab in High-risk or Locally Advanced Luminal and Triple Negative Breast Cancer (CemiHALT )

    Results posted · ClinicalTrials.gov · via Paclitaxel

  2. Trial status changed2026-07-24

    Phase II Study Of Combination Ruxolitinib (INCB018424) With Preoperative Chemotherapy For Triple Negative Inflammatory Breast Cancer

    Status changed to Completed · ClinicalTrials.gov · via Paclitaxel

  3. Trial results posted2026-07-20

    A Phase 3, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) + Lenvatinib (E7080/MK-7902) + Chemotherapy Compared With Standard of Care as First-line Intervention in Participants With Metastatic Esophageal Carcinoma.

    Results posted · ClinicalTrials.gov · via Paclitaxel

  4. Trial status changed2026-07-20

    A Phase 3, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) + Lenvatinib (E7080/MK-7902) + Chemotherapy Compared With Standard of Care as First-line Intervention in Participants With Metastatic Esophageal Carcinoma.

    Status changed to Completed · ClinicalTrials.gov · via Paclitaxel

  5. Trial status changed2026-07-17

    A Phase 1b Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Safety and Anti-cancer Activity of Loncastuximab Tesirine in Combination With Other Anti-cancer Agents in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (LOTIS-7)

    Status changed to Active, not recruiting · ClinicalTrials.gov · via polatuzumab vedotin

  6. Indication expanded2026-07-10

    Indication expansion: ENFORTUMAB VEDOTIN (BLA761137)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via enfortumab vedotin

  7. CHMP positive opinion2026-05-22

    CHMP positive opinion: Colchicine Agepha Pharma (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Colchicine

  8. Indication expanded2025-11-21

    Indication expansion: ENFORTUMAB VEDOTIN (BLA761137)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via enfortumab vedotin

  9. Regulatory approval2025-07-23

    Approval: Blenrep (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via belantamab mafodotin

  10. Regulatory approval2025-03-28

    Approval: Tivdak (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via tisotumab vedotin

  11. New publication2025-03-05
    Pembrolizumab Plus Docetaxel Versus Docetaxel for Previously Treated Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: The Randomized, Double-Blind, Phase III KEYNOTE-921 Trial.

    Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2025 · 43 citations · Europe PMC · via docetaxel

  12. Label change2025-02-27

    Label change: ENFORTUMAB VEDOTIN (BLA761137)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via enfortumab vedotin

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.