Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Implementation of In Vitro Drug Resistance Assays: Maximizing the Potential for Uncovering Clinically Relevant Resistance Mechanisms
Published on: December 9, 2015
Mechanisms of venetoclax resistance and solutions
Jiachen Liu1, Yidong Chen1, Lihua Yu2
1The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Abstract:
The BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax is currently approved for treatment of hematologic diseases and is widely used either as monotherapy or in combination strategies. It has produced promising results in the treatment of refractory or relapsed (R/R) and aged malignant hematologic diseases. However, with clinical use, resistance to venetoclax has emerged. We review the mechanism of reduced dependence on BCL-2 mediated by the upregulation of antiapoptotic proteins other than BCL-2, such as MCL-1 and BCL-XL, which is the primary mechanism of venetoclax resistance, and find that this mechanism is achieved through different pathways in different hematologic diseases. Additionally, this paper also summarizes the current investigations of the mechanisms of venetoclax resistance in terms of altered cellular metabolism, changes in the mitochondrial structure, altered or modified BCL-2 binding domains, and some other aspects; this article also reviews relevant strategies to address these resistance mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Drugs that Destabilize Microtubules
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Inhibition of Cdk Activity

