Scientists from the Institute for Biomedical Research in Barcelona have found out the reason for the multiple resistance of cancer tumors to chemotherapy. Experts presented their findings in an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Chemotherapy is effective when surgery is not helpful. However, malignant cells often develop resistance to anticancer drugs. Some tumors are resistant even to substances that doctors have not yet used.
They found that ten percent of colon and stomach tumors lack the TP53TG1 molecule. In healthy cells, it inhibits the function of the YBX1 protein. Acting YBX1 enters the cell nucleus and activates hundreds of oncogenes that prevent the death of malignant cells.
As a result, not only substances commonly used in the treatment of these cancers, such as 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyplatinum or irinotecan, but also recently developed ones, such as kinase inhibitors, cease to act on tumors.
Scientists plan to develop drugs that do not respond to treatment with multiple resistance. They also want to find out if activation of the TP53TG1 molecule can restore the sensitivity of these tumors to chemotherapy.