Multidrug Resistance
Annamycin, represents a much-needed breakthrough in the battle against multidrug resistance.
Multidrug Resistance (MDR) refers to mechanisms by which many cancers develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs and is a major factor in the failure of many forms of chemotherapy. It affects patients with a variety of blood cancers and solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, lung, and lower gastrointestinal tract cancers. Tumors usually consist of mixed populations of malignant cells, some of which are drug-sensitive while others are drug-resistant. Chemotherapy kills drug-sensitive cells but leaves behind a higher proportion of drug-resistant cells. As the tumor begins to grow again, chemotherapy may fail because the remaining tumor cells are now able to recognize the chemotherapy and reject it at the cellular level, thus rendering it resistant to the therapy.