What is the Impact of Hypoxia on Treatment Resistance?
Hypoxia is a major contributor to treatment resistance in cancer. It can reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy by altering the cancer cells' physiology and reducing drug delivery due to poor vascularization. Hypoxic cancer cells are often more resistant to radiation because the low oxygen levels diminish the generation of free radicals that damage DNA during radiotherapy. This resistance necessitates the development of therapeutic strategies that specifically target the hypoxic regions of tumors.
