Breakthrough in the fight against resistance in metastatic breast cancer

A team of researchers at the Medical University of Vienna has discovered that dormant tumor cells surviving chemotherapy can be targeted through the inhibition of a specific protein called P-glycoprotein (P-gp). This discovery opens up new possibilities for delaying relapse and is particularly relevant for aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), for which there are currently few effective treatments. The findings, published in the journal Drug Resistance Updates, could represent a step forward in the treatment of this type of cancer. So-called "triple-negative breast cancer" is a particularly dangerous form of breast cancer. It is characterised by an early relapse and a poor survival rate. Until now, there have only been limited treatment options, and chemotherapy protocols are often not sufficiently effective. Therapy resistance, where cancer cells do not respond to conventional treatments, has long been a major problem.