Multi-drug Resistance

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is the ability of certain cells or organisms to survive the effects of multiple drugs. It is a major factor in the failure of cancer treatments, as well as a serious concern in the treatment of infectious diseases like HIV and malaria. MDR is caused by the presence of drug efflux pumps in the cell membrane, which allow certain chemicals to escape the body's normal drug break-down processes. In addition, genetic changes to certain proteins can also cause MDR. Understanding the mechanisms of MDR is essential to developing new and improved treatments for cancer, HIV and other infectious diseases, as well as to improve antibiotic effectiveness.