Biomaterial Database

ABC transporters, drug resistance, and cancer stem cells. 2009

Michael Dean

Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. dean@ncifcrf.gov

The protection of the body's stem cells from damage or death due to toxins is a critical function of an organism, as the stem cells need to remain intact for the entire life of the organism. One of the principal mechanisms for protecting stem cells is through the expression of multifunctional efflux transporters from the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) gene family. These same transporters have been known for over 25 years to also play a role in multidrug resistance of tumor cells. An exciting outcome of the concept of the cancer stem cell is that the tumor initiating cell may be innately resistant to many standard therapies. This provides one mechanism in which cancer stem cells could survive cytotoxic or targeted therapies and lead to tumor regrowth or relapse. Gaining a better insight into the mechanisms of stem cell resistance to chemotherapy might therefore lead to new therapeutic targets and better anti-cancer strategies.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D002469	Cell Separation	Techniques for separating distinct populations of cells.	Cell Isolation,Cell Segregation,Isolation, Cell,Cell Isolations,Cell Segregations,Cell Separations,Isolations, Cell,Segregation, Cell,Segregations, Cell,Separation, Cell,Separations, Cell
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000970	Antineoplastic Agents	Substances that inhibit or prevent the proliferation of NEOPLASMS.	Anticancer Agent,Antineoplastic,Antineoplastic Agent,Antineoplastic Drug,Antitumor Agent,Antitumor Drug,Cancer Chemotherapy Agent,Cancer Chemotherapy Drug,Anticancer Agents,Antineoplastic Drugs,Antineoplastics,Antitumor Agents,Antitumor Drugs,Cancer Chemotherapy Agents,Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs,Chemotherapeutic Anticancer Agents,Chemotherapeutic Anticancer Drug,Agent, Anticancer,Agent, Antineoplastic,Agent, Antitumor,Agent, Cancer Chemotherapy,Agents, Anticancer,Agents, Antineoplastic,Agents, Antitumor,Agents, Cancer Chemotherapy,Agents, Chemotherapeutic Anticancer,Chemotherapy Agent, Cancer,Chemotherapy Agents, Cancer,Chemotherapy Drug, Cancer,Chemotherapy Drugs, Cancer,Drug, Antineoplastic,Drug, Antitumor,Drug, Cancer Chemotherapy,Drug, Chemotherapeutic Anticancer,Drugs, Antineoplastic,Drugs, Antitumor,Drugs, Cancer Chemotherapy
D014411	Neoplastic Stem Cells	Highly proliferative, self-renewing, and colony-forming stem cells which give rise to NEOPLASMS.	Cancer Stem Cells,Colony-Forming Units, Neoplastic,Stem Cells, Neoplastic,Tumor Stem Cells,Neoplastic Colony-Forming Units,Tumor Initiating Cells,Cancer Stem Cell,Cell, Cancer Stem,Cell, Neoplastic Stem,Cell, Tumor Initiating,Cell, Tumor Stem,Cells, Cancer Stem,Cells, Neoplastic Stem,Cells, Tumor Initiating,Cells, Tumor Stem,Colony Forming Units, Neoplastic,Colony-Forming Unit, Neoplastic,Initiating Cell, Tumor,Initiating Cells, Tumor,Neoplastic Colony Forming Units,Neoplastic Colony-Forming Unit,Neoplastic Stem Cell,Stem Cell, Cancer,Stem Cell, Neoplastic,Stem Cell, Tumor,Stem Cells, Cancer,Stem Cells, Tumor,Tumor Initiating Cell,Tumor Stem Cell,Unit, Neoplastic Colony-Forming,Units, Neoplastic Colony-Forming
D018528	ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters	A family of MEMBRANE TRANSPORT PROTEINS that require ATP hydrolysis for the transport of substrates across membranes. The protein family derives its name from the ATP-binding domain found on the protein.	ABC Transporter,ABC Transporters,ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter,ATP Binding Cassette Transporter,ATP Binding Cassette Transporters,Cassette Transporter, ATP-Binding,Transporter, ABC,Transporter, ATP-Binding Cassette,Transporters, ABC,Transporters, ATP-Binding Cassette
D019008	Drug Resistance, Neoplasm	Resistance or diminished response of a neoplasm to an antineoplastic agent in humans, animals, or cell or tissue cultures.	Antibiotic Resistance, Neoplasm,Antineoplastic Drug Resistance,Drug Resistance, Antineoplastic,Antineoplastic Agent Resistance,Neoplasm Drug Resistance,Resistance, Antineoplastic Agent,Resistance, Antineoplastic Drug