Cancer Multidrug Resistance (MDR): A Major Impediment to Effective Chemotherapy
Mohd Fahad Ullah
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) continues to be a major challenge to effective chemotherapeutic interventions
against cancer. Various types of cancers have been observed to exhibit this phenomenon, a strategy that involves
cellular and non cellular mechanisms employed by cancer cells to survive the cytotoxic actions of various
structurally and functionally unrelated drugs. The present article is a brief review of the fundamental mechanisms
underlying the phenomenon of MDR in cancer cells and some novel approaches addressed at its inhibition,
circumvention or reversal. The emergence of natural products as potential anti-MDR molecules is of particular
significance. Since many of these are essential components of the human diet, they are expected to possess fewer
side effects and may possibly represent a new generation of MDR modulators.
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