Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Using RNA-sequencing to Detect Novel Splice Variants Related to Drug Resistance in In Vitro Cancer Models
09:58

Using RNA-sequencing to Detect Novel Splice Variants Related to Drug Resistance in In Vitro Cancer Models

Published on: December 9, 2016

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A Convergence-Based Framework for Cancer Drug Resistance

David J Konieczkowski1, Cory M Johannessen2, Levi A Garraway3

  • 1Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, MA 02114, USA.

Cancer Cell
|May 16, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Drug resistance in cancer is complex but may stem from a few key convergence mechanisms. Understanding these pathways, like reactivation or bypass, can help develop new cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • Drug resistance is a major challenge in cancer treatment, despite advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapy.
  • Mechanisms of resistance are often multifactorial and complex, making them difficult to fully understand and address.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a parsimonious framework for understanding drug resistance in cancer.
  • To identify common convergence mechanisms underlying targeted therapy and immunotherapy resistance.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of existing data on cancer drug resistance mechanisms.
  • Identification of recurring patterns in how resistance develops across different cancer types and treatments.

Main Results:

  • Identified three primary convergence mechanisms: pathway reactivation, pathway bypass, and pathway indifference.
  • These convergences may explain resistance to both targeted therapies and immunotherapies.
  • The framework suggests potential common strategies to overcome resistance.

Conclusions:

  • A convergence-based framework simplifies the understanding of complex drug resistance.
  • This model provides insights into resistance across diverse cancer types and therapeutic modalities.
  • The identified convergences offer potential targets for novel therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance.
Keywords:
cancerdrug resistanceheterogeneityimmunotherapyprecision medicinetargeted therapy

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