Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) ranks fourth among cancer related deaths. The disappointing 5-year survival rate of below 5% stems from drug resistance to all known therapies, as well as from disease presentation at a late stage when PDA is already metastatic. Gemcitabine has been the cornerstone of PDA treatment in all stages of the disease for the last two decades, but gemcitabine resistance develops within weeks of chemotherapy initiation. From a mechanistic perspective, gemcitabine resistance may result from alterations in drug metabolism until the point that the cytidine analogue is incorporated into the DNA, or from mitigation of gemcitabine-induced apoptosis.

Source: Drug Resistance Updates - November 2, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Yoav Binenbaum, Shorook Na’ara, Ziv Gil Source Type: research