Selective Anti-Cancer Drugs against Multi-drug Resistance

Collateral sensitivity (CS) is a phenomenon in which development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells confers higher sensitivity to other drugs compared to parental cells. This means that along with advantages, MDR cancer cells may adopt certain weaknesses. Therefore, MDR phenotype became a target for the development of new drugs, termed MDR-selective compounds. These compounds may exploit the overexpression of ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters, directly acting on transporters’ ATPase function or indirectly acting on mechanisms independent of transporters activity. Herein, we review the current findings regarding the specific mechanisms of MDR selective drugs, their potential use in combination with other drugs or chemotherapeutics and perspectives in finding new anti-cancer options for MDR treatment.

Keywords: Autophagy, Anti-Cancer Agents, ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters, ABC Transporters’ Inhibitors, Antioxidant Capacity, Collateral Sensitivity, Energetic Sensitivity, Glutathione Depletion, Microtubule Composition, Multi-drug Resistance, Plasma Membrane Symmetry.