NEW STEPS FOR FIGHTING DRUG RESISTANCE IN CANCER TREATMENT

Literature indicates that the development of drug resistance against the cancer drugs may influence the success of the treatment negatively. Scientists are going to develop a three- dimensional cell model under laboratory conditions so as to reduce the resistance against the drugs prescribed for liver cancer, and to make the treatment effective. Therefore, the reason why human body resists the drugs during the treatment is going to be investigated.

In her study conducted as a part of TUBITAK 1001 Project, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Faculty of Engineering, Head of the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Fırtına Karagonlar aims to minimize the drug resistance prescribed in cancer treatment.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karagonlar stated that the drug resistance is among the reasons behind the significant decrease in the efficiency of cancer treatment. Karagonlar said: “There are very limited treatment options for patients with advanced cancer. Therefore, it is very important to define new treatments for patients showing resistance against the main treatment for cancer. There is a need for the preclinical studies to define new goals for increasing efficiency in patients with drug resistance. In this study, we will form 3-D liver cancer cells with drug resistance and other cell types from the liver tissue. As a result, we will obtain the cancer cells and its environment on the patient tissue in the laboratory physiologically. We will have clinical trials for drugs for 3-D cancer cells we have formed, and analyze the results.”

'Cancer investigation via 3-Dimensional cells”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karagonlar stated that most of the investigations on cancer drugs are carried out by the cells which are developed as two dimensional, however these investigations cannot be transferred on the clinical studies, and she added her study will focus on the three-dimensional cells. She said that results of the project will provide information about the mechanisms which lead to drug resistance in liver cancer and help create a system of three-dimensional cell culture for the future drug studies.