A role for P-glycoprotein in regulating cell death
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Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
R W Johnstone1, A A Ruefli, K M Tainton
1Cellular Cytotoxicity Laboratory, The Austin Research Institute, Australia, Victoria. r.johnstone@ari.unimelb.edu.au
Abstract:
P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an energy dependent drug pump responsible for multidrug resistance (MDR) in human cancers. While it is irrefutable that P-gp can efflux xenobiotics out of cells, the biological function of P-gp in multicellular organisms has yet to be firmly established. The question of what, if anything, P-gp does when not effluxing drugs has been raised by recent reports indicating that P-gp may regulate apoptosis, chloride channel activity, cholesterol metabolism and immune cell function. There is now a lively debate regarding the possible role of P-gp in regulating cell differentiation, proliferation and survival.
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