Ann Chemmachel
Chem 349
17 March 2015

Biochemistry in the News: Cancer Treatment: New device defeats drug resistance

Chemotherapy has been an effective method in terms of shrinking cancerous tumors however with the assistance of the MRP1 gene, these tumors develop a resistance against treatment. Essentially, the MRP1 gene codes for a protein that serves to remove cancer drugs within the cancer cells. This encoded protein acts upon multiple drugs except the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil. In order to fight the drug resistance in cancerous cells, researchers have developed gold nanoparticles coated with the complementary DNA strand to the sequence of MRP1 messenger RNA. When these strands of DNA come across the correct mRNA sequence inside the cancer cell, it unfolds and binds to the mRNA prohibiting it from creating more molecules with the MRP1 protein. With the cancer cell’s defense down, molecules of 5-fluouracil are released which proceed to attack the tumor cell’s DNA. When these events are occurring, the device radiates fluorescence at different wavelengths so researchers can envision what is occurring in the cells. Researchers have found that the particles could suppress MRP1 for up to two weeks and shrunk tumors by 90 percent.

The purpose of this article was to display revolutionary findings in drug resistance within cancer cells. Methods used in this study include trial and error that showed to be appropriate for the question being asked. The conclusion of this article established that the findings of this study were impressive however cancer seems to be an evolving tumor. The cancer problem has not been solved fully however a significant portion of cancer treatment has been confronted and cured temporarily. Drug resistance within cancer cells continues to develop as time progresses and the article hinted that cancer would always