The relationship between multidrug resistance and glucosylceramide levels: an opportunity for combined therapies.

摘要

Multidrug resistance remains an intractable problem for many cancer patients and, by extension, cancer researchers. Multidrug resistance in breast cancers is of special importance, as these cancers usually develop resistance quickly to multiple therapies, after a short-term initial response period. In many cases, tumors develop resistance to drugs with which they have been treated, as well as drugs to which they are naive. It has been found that about 40% of breast tumors express the gene product MDR1 (also known as P-glycoprotein, PgP and gp170). Approximately 30% of breast cancer patients express detectable levels of MDR1/PgP prior to treatment, and thus have an intrinsic resistance. Hence, the study of this mechanism is of enhanced importance for breast cancers.