An overview of the current mechanisms identified as associated with the expression of multidrug resistance is provided. The clinical relevance of multidrug resistance associated with the overexpression of the three major drug resistance-associated proteins namely, P-glycoprotein, MRP and/or LRP, is discussed. Alternate forms of multidrug resistance involving the reduced or altered expression of either or both of the topoisomerases is next considered, followed by a short section relating to resistance to the platinum complexes and the contribution of altered DNA repair. For those involved in new drug discovery programmes for cancer chemotherapy, the identification and study of these new major intracellular targets makes this an exciting era.
本文提供了目前已确定的与多药耐药性表达相关机制的概述。讨论了与三种主要耐药相关蛋白（即P-糖蛋白、多药耐药相关蛋白和/或肺耐药蛋白）过度表达相关的多药耐药性的临床相关性。接下来考虑涉及一种或两种拓扑异构酶表达降低或改变的多药耐药性的其他形式，随后是关于对铂类复合物耐药性以及DNA修复改变的作用的简短章节。对于参与癌症化疗新药发现计划的人员来说，这些新的主要细胞内靶点的识别和研究使这成为一个令人兴奋的时代。
