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Multiple resistance to carcinogens and xenobiotics: P-glycoproteins as universal detoxifiers

Thomas Efferth1, Manfred Volm2

  • 1Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. efferth@uni-mainz.de.

Archives of Toxicology
|February 9, 2017
PubMed

Insights

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters detoxify harmful substances, but their roles vary. While crucial for health, they can cause multidrug resistance in cancer and environmental toxicity.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Environmental Science
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Organisms possess molecular mechanisms to detoxify and excrete harmful xenobiotics and endogenous toxins.
  • ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are key players in extruding diverse chemical compounds from cells.
  • These transporters are vital for cellular defense and maintaining health across species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the dual role of ABC transporters in biological systems.
  • To highlight their impact on human health, cancer therapy, and environmental toxicology.
  • To emphasize the need for interdisciplinary research in medicine and environmental science.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on ABC transporter functions.
  • Analysis of phenotypes associated with ABC transporter expression, including multidrug resistance (MDR) and multi-xenobiotic resistance (MXR).
  • Examination of the implications of ABC transporter activity in cancer chemotherapy and ecotoxicology.

Main Results:

  • ABC transporters exhibit context-dependent effects, leading to beneficial outcomes like carcinogenesis prevention and harmful effects like MDR in tumors.
  • Their activity influences drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) in humans.
  • Inhibition of ABC transporters can aid cancer treatment but blocking their efflux function by pollutants causes ecotoxicity and potential food chain contamination.

Conclusions:

  • ABC transporters play a critical, albeit complex, role in detoxification and cellular protection.
  • Understanding their multifaceted functions is essential for both human medicine and environmental protection.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to address challenges related to ABC transporters in health and the environment.
Keywords:
ABC-transporterCancerCarcinogenesis ecotoxicologyMulti-drug resistanceMulti-xenobiotic resistance

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