16 december 2013

A new group of natural substances reducing drug resistance of tumor cells

It is known that one of the major problems in cancer treatment is the loss of sensitivity of tumor cells to anticancer drugs. The so-called multidrug resistance is the result of activation of the transport glycoprotein, which discharges drugs from tumor cells in the extracellular environment. Recently scientists of G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry found a new group of substances that inhibit this glycoprotein. These substances were the bioactive glycosides contained of edible holothurians - trepangs. Such substances may eventually find use in oncology as an additives in tumor diseases therapy.

Scientific paper describing these properties glycosides from sea cucumbers appeared in the International Journal of Natural Product Communications. 2013. 8. 10. 1377-1380.