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Chemotherapy-induced resistance by ATP-binding cassette transporter genes

Jean-Pierre Gillet1, Thomas Efferth, José Remacle

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium. gilletjp@mail.nih.gov

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|June 19, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells can resist chemotherapy by overexpressing ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which pump drugs out. This review covers ABC transporters, their role in multidrug resistance (MDR), and strategies to overcome it.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Chemotherapeutic drug resistance is a major challenge in cancer treatment.
  • ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters contribute to multidrug resistance (MDR) by effluxing drugs from tumor cells.
  • Knowledge of ABC transporters' role in MDR has significantly advanced in the past two decades.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the involvement of ABC transporters in chemotherapy resistance.
  • To discuss the clinical relevance of ABC transporters in cancer.
  • To highlight diagnostic methods and strategies for overcoming MDR mediated by ABC transporters.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on ABC transporters and multidrug resistance.
  • Analysis of current knowledge on the mechanisms of drug efflux by ABC transporters.
  • Synthesis of information on clinical implications and therapeutic strategies.

Main Results:

  • Overexpression of ABC transporters is a key mechanism of MDR in cancer.
  • Various ABC transporters play distinct roles in conferring resistance to different chemotherapeutic agents.
  • Diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies are being developed to target ABC transporter-mediated MDR.

Conclusions:

  • ABC transporters are critical mediators of MDR, impacting cancer treatment efficacy.
  • Understanding ABC transporter function is essential for developing effective cancer therapies.
  • Targeting ABC transporters offers a promising avenue for overcoming drug resistance in cancer patients.

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