KSP, also known as Eg5, is a motor protein that moves along microtubules and is pivotal for bipolar spindle formation during mitosis. Inhibitors of KSP bind to the motor domain of the protein, blocking its function. This inhibition prevents the proper separation of chromosomes, resulting in mitotic arrest and eventually apoptosis, or programmed cell death. This mechanism makes KSP inhibitors a promising target for cancer therapy, as they can selectively kill dividing tumor cells while sparing non-dividing normal cells.
