Pancreatic cancer- mechanisms of chemoresistance
Journal Title: Advances in Hygiene and Experimental Medicine - Year 2016, Vol 70, Issue
Abstract
Despite the enormous progress made over the past decades in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of many types of tumor, the survival rate for pancreatic cancer still remains poor. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant and chemotherapy-resistant tumors. That is mainly due to the lack of effective diagnosis at an early stage of tumor development and ineffective therapy. In most patients the disease is diagnosed at an advanced, metastatic stage and only 15-20% of patients are eligible for surgical removal of the tumor, which still remains the only chance for radical treatment. Studies in recent years have not yielded significant progress in the treatment of disease, and gemcitabine or its combinations with other chemotherapeutics such as erlotinib or capecitabine still remains the standard therapy. Although mechanisms of cell death induced by gemcitabine and other chemotherapeutic agents are well known, their effectiveness is limited due to the acquisition of drug resistance by pancreatic cancer cells. So far, mechanisms of resistance have been tested for mutations in many genes – the key to proper functioning of signaling pathways in cancer cells. However, recent studies suggest a significant role of the tumor microenvironment in the development and maintaining resistance to conventionally used chemotherapeutic and targeted therapies. Drug resistance of pancreatic cancer results from multiple mechanisms, which may include the following: mutations in key genes, aberrant gene expression, deregulation of key signaling pathways, apoptotic pathways, the capacity for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increased angiogenesis, the presence of cancer stem cells or the presence of a hypoxic microenvironment inside the tumor.
Authors and Affiliations
Barbara Borowa-Mazgaj
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP220753
- DOI -
- Views 146
- Downloads 0
The role of centrosomes in cells and their potential contribution to carcinogenesis
The centrosomes are subcellular organelles composed of two centrioles surrounded by a pericentriolar material. In animal cells they are responsible for the organization of the interphase microtubule cytoskeleton includin...
Methods of detection of selected respiratory viruses
Respiratory viruses contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in healthy and immunocompromised individuals and are considered as a significant economic burden in the healthcare system. The similar clinical sympt...
Transmembrane transporters ABCC – structure, function and role in multidrug resistance of cancer cells
Resistance to cytotoxic drugs is a significant problem of systemic treatment of cancers. Apart from drug inactivation, changes in target enzymes and proteins, increased DNA repair and suppression of apoptosis, an importa...
Replikacja wirusa zapalenia wątroby typu C (HCV) w jednojądrowych komórkach krwi obwodowej (PBMC) u pacjentów z przewlekłym zapaleniem wątroby typu C, leczonych pegylowanym interferonem alfa i rybawiryną
The pleiotropic activity of heat-shock proteins
Stress or heat-shock proteins (HSPs) are highly conserved proteins present in cells of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, providing them with protection from cellular and environmental stress factors. Based on molecular-we...