Multidrug Resistance in Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Challenges
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 3304
Special Issue Editors
Interests: cancer cell metabolism; multidrug resistance in cancer cells; PGP activity; pH regulators in cancer; new anticancer drugs
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, University Institute of Health Sciences—CESPU, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
3. UCIBIO—Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Translational Toxicology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Health Sciences (1H-TOXRUN, IUCS-CESPU), 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
Interests: anticancer strategies; targeted therapy; cancer biomarkers; mitosis; apoptosis; drug discovery; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant and ongoing progress in new and sophisticated therapies, treatment failure and disease recurrence remain a reality and a serious concern. Advances in identifying more specific tumor targets have led to the discovery of a host of novel compounds and innovative treatments that are more selective in identifying cancer cells and more effective at eliminating them. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of many antitumor treatments remains limited, presenting modest efficacy and resulting in the development of the MultiDrug Resistance (MDR) phenotype—a major contributor in treatment failure. The MDR defines a phenotype, either intrinsic or acquired through treatment, in which cancer cells become resistant to multiple drugs, even those with no clear structural similarity and/or that act on different molecular targets. MDR involves multiple mechanisms and molecular players, including pharmacological factors, tumor microenvironment characteristics, and intracellular mechanisms. Thus, a deeper investigation into the biological mechanisms underlying this phenotype, as well as the search for novel compounds capable not only of targeting and eliminating cancer cells but also of overcoming cellular resistance, remains critical. Despite being extensively studied, the precise role of various factors involved in MDR is far from being clarified, and new compounds able of reversing this phenotype are urgently needed.
In this Special Issue, we aim to collect review or original manuscripts covering the main mechanisms contributing to cancer resistance, including pharmacologic, microenvironment, and intracellular mechanisms. Additionally, we welcome studies focused on the development and characterization of novel and effective drugs and therapeutic strategies, either alone or in combination, that show promise in overcoming MDR and create new opportunities for cancer treatment. We therefore encourage the submission of research in this area as original research articles, review papers, or short communications.
Dr. Odília Queirós
Dr. Patrícia M. A. Silva
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- cancer therapy
- MultiDrug Resistance (MDR)
- Pgp
- efflux pumps
- tumor microenvironment
- anticancer drug target
- combination therapy
- novel anticancer agents
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