Cancer stem cells and nanomedicine: new opportunities to combat multidrug resistance?

Alessandro Dalpiaz; Guglielmo Paganetto; Giada Botti; Barbara Pavan

doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.023

Cancer stem cells and nanomedicine: new opportunities to combat multidrug resistance?

Drug Discov Today. 2020 Sep;25(9):1651-1667. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.023. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

Authors

Alessandro Dalpiaz¹, Guglielmo Paganetto², Giada Botti¹, Barbara Pavan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
² Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
³ Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: pvnbbr@unife.it.

PMID: 32763499
DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.023

Abstract

'Multidrug resistance' (MDR) is a difficult challenge for cancer treatment. The combined role of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and active efflux transporters (AETs) in cancer cells appears relevant in inducing MDR. Chemotherapeutic drugs can be substrates of both CYPs and AETs and CYP inducers or inhibitors can produce the same effects on AETs. In addition, a small subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) appears to survive conventional chemotherapy, leading to recurrent disease. Natural products appear efficacious against CSCs; their combinational treatments with standard chemotherapy are promising for cancer eradication, in particular when supported by nanotechnologies.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism
Drug Resistance, Multiple / drug effects*
Humans
Nanomedicine
Neoplastic Stem Cells / drug effects*
Phytochemicals / therapeutic use

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors
Phytochemicals
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System