[Multidrug resistance in acute leukemia]

Despite substantial recent advances in leukemia therapy, most leukemia patients eventually relapse and die of recurrent or refractory leukemia. Important issues are how to treat the patients in relapse of leukemia and how to overcome drug-resistant leukemic cells. Multidrug resistance of tumor cells has been vigorously studied in terms of P-glycoprotein, which may play important roles in the transport of antitumor drugs through cell membrane. In the present article, the author has reviewed the recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology of drug-resistance in leukemic cells and discussed the clinical approaches to drug-resistant leukemia.