From Herbs.news…..
One of the biggest issues for cancer patients who have tried modern therapies is that these treatments cause plenty of unwanted side effects. Another challenge that has emerged recently is the occurrence of multi-drug resistance (MDR). MDR can be defined as the ability of cancer cells to survive against a wide variety of anti-cancer agents. Because MDR renders chemotherapeutics ineffective, it is considered one of the main obstacles to successful cancer treatment.
Over the years, researchers have discovered the various mechanisms by which cancer cells develop MDR. These include the activation of detox systems, the alteration of drug targets, the induction of changes in the cell cycle, the activation of DNA repair processes, the inhibition of apoptosis (cell suicide) and the promotion of drug efflux. The latter, which has been observed repeatedly in different cancers, involves the rapid release of a drug outside of cells. This ultimately reduces drug absorption inside cells, which heavily favors the survival of cancer cells.
To counteract this, scientists began developing MDR reversal agents that are meant to increase the intracellular accumulation of anti-tumor drugs. However, most of these agents failed in clinical trials because of severe adverse effects.
