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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
08:46

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms

Published on: December 9, 2015

Cancer multidrug resistance: a review of recent drug discovery research

Mordechai Liscovitch1, Yaakov Lavie

  • 1Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. moti.liscovitch@weizmann.ac.il

Idrugs : the Investigational Drugs Journal
|November 27, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Multidrug resistance (MDR) limits cancer chemotherapy. This review covers current MDR drugs, novel strategies to overcome resistance, and the future of oncology treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumor cells significantly hinders conventional cancer chemotherapy effectiveness.
  • MDR is primarily driven by altered membrane transporters responsible for drug efflux and proteins affecting drug metabolism or action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current status of multidrug resistance (MDR) drugs in cancer therapy.
  • To outline novel strategies for suppressing or circumventing MDR mechanisms.
  • To discuss the future therapeutic landscape for MDR in oncology.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing MDR drugs and clinical trials.
  • Analysis of emerging approaches to combat MDR.
  • Discussion of future directions in MDR-targeted cancer therapy.

Main Results:

  • While numerous MDR transporter inhibitors have been identified, none are currently in clinical use.
  • Several novel strategies are being developed to overcome or bypass MDR mechanisms.
  • The future of MDR therapy involves a multi-pronged approach combining existing and novel treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Overcoming multidrug resistance remains a critical challenge in oncology.
  • Continued research into novel MDR inhibitors and circumvention strategies is essential.
  • The future of cancer treatment will likely involve personalized approaches to manage MDR.

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