Multiple drug resistance of tumor cells: manifestations, genetic basis, clinical aspects

Data are reviewed concerning the results of study of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cells. MDR often develops in the course of chemotherapy or in vitro selection of tumor cells by vincristine, adriamycin, actinomycin D, colchicine, etc. MDR cells are resistant to all these drugs though their targets and mechanisms of toxic action are quite different. Resistance is due to the decreased accumulation by MDR cells of these compounds. The genetic basis for MDR is amplification of a large genomic region that contains a number of genes coding for products and functions that are under extensive study. Specific karyotype and amplified DNA alterations occur during the development of MDR imitating the processes of appearance and variability of multigene families. The obtained data demonstrate the ways of overcoming of tumor multidrug resistance in clinic.