Intracellular drug distribution is different between wild type (A) and MRP overexpressing (B) MCF7 human mammary breast cancer cells.


Chemotherapy remains one of the main treatment options for cancer. Unfortunately, many cancers are uncurable because they become resistant to chemotherapy. Since most anticancer drugs have to get into a cancer cell to kill it, cells defend themselves by actively pumping these drugs out and in the process become resistant. Understanding these processes of resistance will help us to devise better strategies to circumvent a cell's defense mechanism.

Faculty studying drug resistance:

  • John Galivan: Activity of cytotoxic drugs, particularly the antifolate series, against neoplastic and hyperproliferative diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis; also, studies of the regulation of liver function in vitro, particularly in relation to hepatotoxicity.
  • Thomas Ryan: Study of the structure, mechanism of action, and specific inhibition of proteases, specifically those involved in blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, tumor metastasis, and resistance to anticancer drugs.
  • Erasmus Schneider: Novel mechanisms of multidrug resistance in cancer cells and apoptosis.
  • Rong Yao: Structure and function of gamma-glutamyl hydrolase.

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    Last edited 2/28/97 scbwebmaster