The primary cilium is generally a non-motile solitary organelle that protrudes from a basal body at the cell surface in various cell types in multicellular organisms. This microtubule-based structure acts as a cell signaling platform to control key cellular processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation in development and in adult tissues. Elongated and/or dysfunctional primary cilia cause developmental disorders termed ciliopathies and cancers. The genetic inhibition of ciliogenesis inducers can block the progression of these diseases in model organisms. Thus, pharmacological inhibition of primary ciliogenesis has emerged as a potential strategy to treat these pathological conditions. Pharmacological inhibitors that affect cilium assembly, and have an impact on other cellular processes, have been identified. Here, we review some of these tools and discuss their value and limitations in the study of primary cilium biology, as well as for the treatment of some ciliopathies and cancers.

初级纤毛通常是不活动的孤立细胞器，其在多细胞生物的各种细胞类型中从基体突出到细胞表面。这种基于微管的结构充当细胞信号平台，以控制关键的细胞过程，包括发育中和成年组织中的细胞增殖和分化。纤毛延长和/或功能障碍会导致发育异常，称为纤毛病和癌症。纤毛发生诱导剂的遗传抑制可以阻止这些疾病在模型生物体内的发展。因此，对初级纤毛发生的药理学抑制已成为治疗这些病理状况的潜在策略。已经确定了影响纤毛组装并影响其他细胞过程的药理抑制剂。这里，