Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
09:19

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo

Published on: February 6, 2015

Evolution of resistance to cancer therapy

Franziska Michor1, Martin A Nowak, Yoh Iwasa

  • 1Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. michor@fas.harvard.edu

Current Pharmaceutical Design
|February 4, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mathematical models predict the probability of cancer cells developing drug resistance. Understanding resistance mechanisms like drug exclusion and target alteration is key to improving cancer treatment success rates.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Mathematical Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Acquired drug resistance is a significant obstacle in effective cancer treatment.
  • Resistance mechanisms include drug exclusion, metabolism, and target alteration (mutation or overexpression).
  • Cancer resistance often involves multiple genetic or epigenetic alterations, varying by cancer type, stage, and therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a general mathematical framework for studying the emergence of resistance in replicating populations under selection pressure.
  • To apply this framework to model the evolution of drug resistance in cancer cells.
  • To provide a method for estimating the probability of treatment success based on resistance dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a general mathematical framework based on multi-type branching processes.
  • Analyzing the dynamics of escape from selection pressures in replicating organisms.
  • Applying the model to diverse mechanisms of cancer drug resistance.

Main Results:

  • The study reviews a mathematical framework applicable to cancer resistance.
  • The framework allows for the study of resistance evolution across various mechanisms.
  • The developed theory provides a means to estimate treatment success probabilities.

Conclusions:

  • A mathematical framework using multi-type branching processes can model cancer drug resistance.
  • This approach aids in understanding the probability of resistance emergence under chemotherapy.
  • The findings offer insights into predicting the success of cancer treatment regimens.

More Related Videos

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down08:59

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down

Published on: December 11, 2017

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms08:46

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

Published on: December 9, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Treatment Resistent Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistent Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...