Overcoming cancer therapy resistance: From drug innovation to therapeutics

Jin-Rui Wei1, Meng-Yi Lu2, Tian-Hua Wei3

  • 1Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China; The First Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China.

Insights

Cancer drug resistance is a major challenge. This review explores resistance mechanisms and novel strategies like targeted protein degradation and nanomedicine to overcome it, aiming to improve cancer therapy outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Cancer Biology

Background:

  • Drug resistance is a significant limitation in cancer therapy, leading to treatment failure.
  • Multifactorial mechanisms contribute to therapy resistance, necessitating a comprehensive understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the complex mechanisms of cancer therapy resistance.
  • To provide actionable insights for developing novel therapeutic strategies against resistant tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on key factors contributing to resistance.
  • Evaluation of innovative strategies to sensitize resistant cancer cells.
  • Synthesis of current knowledge and identification of research gaps.

Main Results:

  • Identified key resistance factors: drug delivery barriers, cancer stem cells (CSCs), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumor heterogeneity, tumor microenvironment (TME), genetic mutations, and altered gene expression.
  • Explored evasion mechanisms of targeted therapies via pathway restoration.
  • Evaluated novel therapeutic strategies including targeted protein degradation, antibody-drug conjugates, nanomedicine, and others.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding resistance mechanisms is crucial for improving cancer therapy.
  • Innovative strategies show promise in overcoming drug resistance and enhancing patient outcomes.
  • Further research is needed to integrate these agents effectively into treatment regimens.

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