![]() ![]() The good thing is that there are already drugs that can block this protein, so we were able to test our hypothesis." explains Gergely Szakács, the lead author of the study. The discovery that P-gp contributes to the removal of toxic lipids from rare surviving cancer cells represents a vulnerability that can be exploited to prevent relapse. "P-gp has been well-known as a protein that can export chemotherapeutic drugs from the cells, but its role in protecting dormant cancer cells has not been proven. Researchers led by Gergely Szakács at MedUni Vienna's Center for Cancer Research found that this partially happens through the activation of a protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which helps to clean cells from secondary damage inflicted by chemotherapy. Although cytotoxic agents are less effective against nondividing cells, drug tolerant persister cells must come up with additional protective measures to cope with the toxic effects of chemotherapy. Such cancer cells can persist undetected for several months or even years before they start to proliferate again to give rise to tumor relapse. A research team at MedUni Vienna's Center for Cancer Research has now discovered why this happens and how it can be prevented.Ĭertain cancer cells evade chemotherapy by entering a dormant cell state. Therapy resistance, where cancer cells do not respond to conventional treatments, has long been a major problem. Until now, there have only been limited treatment options, and chemotherapy protocols are often not sufficiently effective. ![]() It is characterised by an early relapse and a poor survival rate. So-called "triple-negative breast cancer" is a particularly dangerous form of breast cancer. ![]()
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