Many clinically important drug interactions occur due to inhibition of human liver cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) metabolism. The drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein (Pgp) can be an additional locus contributing to these drug interactions because there is overlap in drugs that are substrates for both proteins. We screened a number of CYP3A inhibitors (macrolide antibiotics, azole antifungals, and ergot...

Background: Chemotherapy forms the backbone of treatment for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL); however, <∼20% tumors are chemoresistant. Inhibitors DNA damage response (DDR) show promise as chemosensitizers. We therefore set up an in-vitro screen to identify optimal chemotherapy-DDR inhibitor (DDRi) combination in a panel DLBCL cell lines. Material and Methods: To achieve this, we harnesse...

DNA replication ensures accurate duplication of the original genetic information present in a cell in order for it to be properly transmitted to daughter cells. However, replication can be perturbed, for instance in rapidly dividing cancer cells, in a process referred to as replication stress (RS). Checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1) is an essential component of the ATR-dependent DNA damage-response pat...

Verapamil was evaluated as a chemosensitizer for reversing multidrug resistance in multiple myeloma both in vitro and in clinical trials. Bone marrows from 59 myeloma patients in relapse were evaluated for several resistance parameters: expression of p-glycoprotein (MDR1), doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and vincristine sensitivity, and the ability of added verapamil to reduce resistance to the cytoto...

Recent data have suggested that mitochondria play a supportive role in maintaining the tumorigenic phenotype. Indeed, antimitochondrial agents have been hypothesized to be potential chemosensitizers to human malignancy. We assessed the utility of this approach by characterizing the antimitochondrial activity of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzylidene-malononitrile (AG17), in combination with 1,3...

Conventional methods that are used to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) often involve the coadministration of chemosensitizers and anticancer drugs. The cyclosporin analogue SDZ PSC 833 [(3'-keto-Bmt1)-(Val2)-cyclosporin] (PSC 833) has been shown to possess powerful chemosensitization properties in vitro, in addition to being intrinsically nontoxic. However, coadministration of PSC 833 with a...

BACKGROUND De novo or acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs continues to be one of the most important obstacles hindering the successful treatment of cancer patients. Consequently, enhancing the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs has become an important research goal. Our previous studies using the mouse EMT-6 mammary carcinoma selected for resistance to various alkylating ...

Due to our extensive use of pharmaceuticals, low concentrations (picomol-nanomol/L) end up in the aquatic environment. Antibiotics comprise a group of pharmaceuticals specifically designed to disrupt microbial biochemical processes, and might therefore in particular have detrimental effects on microbial communities in the environment. However, current environmental risk assessment strategies of...

Recent data have suggested that mitochondria play a supportive role in maintaining the tumorigenic phenotype. Indeed, antimitochondrial agents have been hypothesized to be potential chemosensitizers to human malignancy. We assessed the utility of this approach by characterizing the antimitochondrial activity of 3,5-di-tert-butyl.4-hydroxybenzylidene-malononitrile (AG17), in combination with 1,3...