Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Cancer: From Chemotherapy to Immunotherapy

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, mainstream cancer treatment strategies include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. However, the development of drug resistance, which results in decreased or diminished therapeutic response, is one of the major challenges for cancer treatment. Researchers have demonstrated that various molecular mechanisms are involved in drug resistance, including 1) enhanced DNA repair, 2) inhibition of cell apoptosis, 3) altered drug metabolisms, 4) decreased drug uptake, 5) altered signaling pathways, and 6) functional gene mutations. In recent years, growing evidence has suggested the tumor microenvironment as a contributing factor for drug resistance, which may affect the drug response by promoting tumor growth, inhibiting cell apoptosis, and blocking drug distribution.

In order to overcome cancer drug resistance, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms will be of importance. For instance, P-glycoprotein has been identified as a major drug efflux transporter that protects cancer cells from various chemotherapeutic agents and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Therefore, the combination of a selective inhibitor would be beneficial to patients with a high tumor P-glycoprotein level. As cancer cells can acquire multiple mechanisms to mediate drug resistance, identifying the genes or proteins that contribute to drug resistance will facilitate the development of novel inhibitors or effective therapeutic strategies.

For this Special Issue “Molecular Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Cancer: From Chemotherapy to Immunotherapy”, we aim to present recent progress on drug resistance in cancer therapy. Original research and review articles related to anticancer drug resistance mechanisms and antagonism will be considered for publication. Clinical studies with biomolecular experiments are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Philippe Pourquier
Dr. Zhuoxun Wu
Guest Editors

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• drug resistance
• chemotherapy
• targeted therapy
• immunotherapy
• biomarkers
• apoptosis
• signaling pathways
• ABC transporters
• tumor microenvironment