Cancer Drug Resistance and Therapeutic Targets
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Oncology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 513
Special Issue Editor
Interests: development of phytochemicals for cancer prevention and therapeutics; targeting STAT-3; NF-kB; HER2; MCL-1; AKT/FOXO; GLI1/2; and related signaling pathways with agents such as capsaicin; piperlongumine; penfluridol; isothiocyanates; diindolylmethane; panabinostat; cucurbitacin B; and deguelin in pancreatic; ovarian; breast; melanoma; and brain cancer; drug repurposing
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cancer drug resistance remains one of the most significant barriers to effective therapy, limiting the success of chemotherapy and targeted treatments across multiple cancer types. Resistance arises through a network of molecular and cellular alterations that enable tumor survival under therapeutic pressure. Key mechanisms include mutations in drug targets, activation of alternative signaling pathways (PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK/ERK), and epigenetic modifications that reprogram gene expression. Overexpression of efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein and enhanced DNA repair capacity further reduce drug efficacy, while dysregulation of apoptosis regulators like BCL-2 and p53 promotes tumor persistence.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) also plays a critical role, with hypoxia, inflammatory cytokines, and exosome-mediated communication fostering resistance and metastatic potential. Emerging strategies aim to overcome these mechanisms through epigenetic therapy, immune checkpoint inhibition, metabolic targeting, and nanoparticle-based drug delivery.
This Special Issue, “Cancer Drug Resistance and Therapeutic Targets,” highlights the latest research elucidating resistance mechanisms and identifying novel molecular targets for intervention. By integrating multi-omics approaches and translational insights, this issue aims to advance the development of personalized and durable cancer therapies, ultimately improving outcomes for patients facing resistant malignancies.
Researchers are invited to submit their original research articles as well as reviews to this Special Issue.
Prof. Dr. Sanjay K. Srivastava
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- drug resistance
- therapeutic targets
- efflux transporters’ oncogenic signaling pathways
- tumor microenvironment
- dna damage/repair
- personalized therapies
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