(+)-Discodermolide is a highly potent antiproliferative agent. (+)-Discodermolide treated murine Do11.10T hybridoma cells could not proceed normal cell cycling.  In untreated controls, 68% of cells were found at G1 phase, and 31% were found at S phase, and less than 1% was found at the G2/M phase. However, after 3 hours  (+)-discodermolide treatment, 52% were found at  G1 phase, 40% at S phase, and 58% at G2 and M phase. This result indicated that (+)-discodermolide blocks the cell cycle at G2 and M phase. This inhibition effect was  also found to be reversible. Cells resume normal cycling within 48 hours after removal of (+)-discodermolide from the cell culture medium.
(+)-Discodermolide arrests cell cycle via binding and stabilization of the microtubule network.  Hyper-stabilization of the mitotic spindle causes cell cycle arresting at G2 and M phase and eventually leads to cell death by apoptosis. At 10µM concentration, (+)-discodermolide is able to promote microtubules assembly without microtubule-associated proteins and GTP. With microtubule-associated protein and GTP presented, 10µM (+)-discodermolide is able to initiate tubulin polymerization at 0 °C.