How Does Drug Efflux Contribute to Chemoresistance?
Chemoresistance occurs when cancer cells develop the ability to evade the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Efflux transporters, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, are often overexpressed in cancer cells. These transporters pump anticancer drugs out of the cells, reducing their intracellular concentrations and thereby diminishing their efficacy.
