How Do Internal Pumps Contribute to Drug Resistance?
Certain types of cancer cells have been found to express higher levels of efflux pumps, which are a type of internal pump that expels drugs from the cell. These efflux pumps, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multi-drug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), can reduce the intracellular concentration of chemotherapeutic agents, rendering the treatment less effective.
