An indole-rich tripodal microtubule inhibitor is designed, which binds at the DCVJ site of tubulin and inhibits its polymerization. It causes apoptotic death of cancer cells without affecting normal cells and inhibits the growth of tumors. Finally, STD-NMR and TR-NOESY experiments reveal that the indole appendages play a crucial role in interacting with tubulin. © 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.