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Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Looking for Driver Pathways of Acquired Resistance to Targeted Therapy: Drug Resistant Subclone Generation and Sensitivity Restoring by Gene Knock-down
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Epigenetic Regulation Towards Acquired Drug Resistance in Cancer

Madhura Ketkar1,2, Shilpee Dutt3,4,5

  • 1Shilpee Dutt Laboratory, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India.

Sub-Cellular Biochemistry
|October 27, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cancer therapy resistance is a major challenge. Epigenetic modifications in the genome and transcriptome help tumor cells adapt and become resistant to chemotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Epigenetics

Background:

  • Therapy resistance is a significant hurdle in cancer treatment.
  • Both genetic and non-genomic mechanisms contribute to tumor cell adaptation.
  • Epigenetic alterations profoundly impact cellular functions and treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the primary mechanisms of epigenetic modifications in chemotherapy resistance.
  • To explore how epigenetic changes in the genome and transcriptome contribute to treatment failure.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on epigenetic mechanisms in cancer therapy resistance.
  • Analysis of genomic and transcriptomic modifications associated with drug resistance.

Main Results:

  • Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in the development of chemotherapy resistance.
  • Alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs contribute to this adaptation.
  • These epigenetic changes can affect gene expression, leading to survival pathways in cancer cells.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding epigenetic mechanisms is vital for overcoming therapy resistance.
  • Targeting epigenetic modifications offers potential new strategies for improving cancer treatment efficacy.
Keywords:
CancerChemoresistanceChromatin remodelingDNA methylationEpigenetic modificationHDACHistone methylationHistone ubiquitinationlncRNAmiRNA

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