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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cancer Drug Sensitization In Vitro and In Vivo
Published on: February 6, 2015
Modern Approaches to Testing Drug Sensitivity of Patients' Tumors (Review)
I N Druzhkova1, M V Shirmanova2, D S Kuznetsova3
1Junior Researcher, Fluorescent Bio-imaging Laboratory, Research Institute of Experimental Oncology and Biomedical Technologies; Privolzhsky Research Medical University, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod, 603005, Russia.
Abstract:
Drug therapy is still one of the basic techniques used to treat cancers of different etiology. However, tumor resistance to drugs is a pressing problem limiting drug treatment efficacy. It is obvious for both modern fundamental and clinical oncology that there is the need for an individual approach to treating cancer taking into account the biological properties of a tumor when prescribing chemo- and targeted therapy. One of the promising strategies is to increase the antitumor therapy efficacy by developing predictive tests, which enable to evaluate the sensitivity of a particular tumor to a specific drug or a drug combination before the treatment initiation and, thus, make individual therapy selection possible. The present review considers the main approaches to drug sensitivity assessment of patients' tumors: molecular genetic profiling of tumor cells, and direct efficiency testing of the drugs on tumor cells isolated from surgical or biopsy material. There were analyzed the key directions in research and clinical studies such as: the search for predictive molecular markers, the development of methods to maintain tumor cells or tissue sections viable, i.e. in a condition maximum close to their physiological state, the development of high throughput systems to assess therapy efficiency. Special attention was given to a patient-centered approach to drug therapy in colorectal cancer.
Insights
Predictive tests for cancer drug sensitivity are crucial for personalized treatment. Evaluating tumor sensitivity before therapy improves chemotherapy and targeted therapy efficacy, especially in colorectal cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Translational Medicine
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Drug resistance remains a significant challenge in cancer therapy, limiting treatment effectiveness.
- Personalized medicine necessitates an individualized approach to cancer treatment, considering tumor biology for chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
- Developing predictive tests to assess tumor drug sensitivity before treatment is a promising strategy to enhance antitumor therapy efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current approaches for assessing tumor drug sensitivity.
- To highlight key research and clinical study directions in predictive cancer diagnostics.
- To emphasize a patient-centered approach in colorectal cancer drug therapy.
Main Methods:
- Molecular genetic profiling of tumor cells.
- Direct drug efficacy testing on isolated tumor cells (from surgical or biopsy material).
- Analysis of research on predictive molecular markers and methods for maintaining tumor cell viability.
Main Results:
- Two primary methods for drug sensitivity assessment exist: molecular profiling and direct drug testing.
- Ongoing research focuses on identifying predictive markers and developing robust methods for ex vivo tumor cell assessment.
- High-throughput systems are being developed to efficiently evaluate therapy effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- Individualized drug therapy selection is essential for effective cancer treatment.
- Predictive tests for drug sensitivity can guide personalized chemotherapy and targeted therapy choices.
- A patient-centered approach, particularly in colorectal cancer, is vital for optimizing treatment outcomes.
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