Colchicine neoglycosides, method for their synthesis and methods for their
use are disclosed. The invention provides analogs of colchicine
glycosylated to include a sugar moiety on a colchicine scaffold that is
generally unglycosylated in nature. The colchicine neoglycosides
disclosed herein are shown to have cytotoxic effects equivalent to at
least the known cytotoxins paclitaxel and doxorubicin. Further, the
neoglycosides disclosed according to the invention have physiologic
effects not previously recognized in the alkaloid family that includes
colchicine but recognized in other cytotoxic drug families such as the
taxanes which act by stabilizing tubulin formation.