Tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in cancer: role of ABC multidrug transporters

Drug Resist Updat. 2005 Feb-Apr;8(1-2):15-26. doi: 10.1016/j.drup.2005.02.002.

Abstract

Recent antitumor drug research has seen the development of a large variety of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with increasing specificity and selectivity. These are highly promising agents for specific inhibition of malignant cell growth and metastasis. However, their therapeutic potential also depends on access to their intracellular targets, which may be significantly affected by certain ABC membrane transporters. It has been recently shown that several human multidrug transporter ABC proteins interact with specific TKIs, and the ABCG2 transporter has an especially high affinity for some of these kinase inhibitors. These results indicate that multidrug resistance protein modulation by TKIs may be an important factor in the treatment of cancer patients; moreover, the extrusion of TKIs by multidrug transporters may result in tumor cell TKI resistance. Interaction with multidrug resistance ABC transporters may also significantly modify the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of TKIs in patients.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / drug effects*
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / physiology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Neoplasm Proteins* / drug effects
  • Neoplasm Proteins* / physiology
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / classification
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / physiology

Substances

  • ABCG2 protein, human
  • ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 2
  • ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases