title: How circulating tumor cells escape from multidrug resistance: translating molecular mechanisms in metastatic breast cancer treatment.
abstract: Resistance to anthracyclines is responsible for treatment failure in most patients with metastatic breast cancer. According to recent studies, the expression of specific drug transporters (MRPs) on circulating tumor cells is predictive of prognosis in different cancer types. We observed that patients whose circulating tumor cells expressed MRP1 and MRP2, two drug-export pumps responsible for anthracyclines efflux, who received conventional anthracyclines had a significantly shorter time to progression compared with patients sharing same characteristics who received non pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (P < 0.005). These results may highlight a new appealing role of the liposomal doxorubicin formulation, not only because of its reduced cardiac toxicity but especially referring to its theoretical efficacy in anthracycline-resistant breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gradilone
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naso
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Lazzaro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Repetto
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palazzo
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gianni
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cortesi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gazzaniga
mesh_terms: D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple / Q000502:physiology*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000089762:Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004317:Doxorubicin; D000089762:Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins; C000715087:ABCC2 protein, human; C421109:multidrug resistance-associated protein 1