Chemotherapy resistance
Chemotherapy Resistance
Chemotherapy resistance (pronunciation: kee-moh-thair-uh-pee ree-zis-tuhns) is a phenomenon in which cancer cells are able to survive and grow despite the administration of chemotherapy drugs. This resistance can be intrinsic, meaning the cancer cells were resistant to the chemotherapy from the start, or acquired, meaning the cancer cells developed resistance over time.
Etymology
The term "chemotherapy resistance" is derived from the words "chemotherapy", which comes from the Greek words "chemia" (chemistry) and "therapeia" (treatment), and "resistance", which comes from the Latin word "resistentia" (to resist).
Mechanisms of Chemotherapy Resistance
Chemotherapy resistance can occur through several mechanisms. These include:
- Drug Efflux: Cancer cells can pump out the chemotherapy drugs before they can exert their effects. This is often mediated by proteins such as P-glycoprotein.
- Drug Inactivation: Cancer cells can produce enzymes that inactivate the chemotherapy drugs, rendering them ineffective.
- DNA Repair: Cancer cells can repair the DNA damage caused by chemotherapy drugs, allowing them to survive and continue to proliferate.
- Cell Cycle Alterations: Cancer cells can alter their cell cycle to avoid the effects of chemotherapy drugs, which often target cells that are actively dividing.
- Apoptosis Inhibition: Cancer cells can inhibit the process of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is often triggered by chemotherapy drugs.
Related Terms
- Chemotherapy: The use of drugs to kill cancer cells or slow their growth.
- P-glycoprotein: A protein that pumps certain drugs out of cells.
- Apoptosis: The process of programmed cell death.
- DNA Repair: The process by which a cell identifies and corrects damage to the DNA molecules that encode its genome.
- Cell Cycle: The series of events that take place in a cell leading to its division and duplication.
See Also
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.