When cancer cells become resistant to chemotherapy, it makes treatment much harder for patients with breast, ovarian, gastric, or lung cancers. This review looks at why the drug paclitaxel sometimes stops working. It identifies several ways the cancer cells fight back, such as pumping the drug out of their cells or changing their internal structure to survive.
Researchers found that these defenses are complex. They include changes in how cells handle waste, how they use energy, and how they adapt to the environment around them. These processes, like metabolic reprogramming and altered gene regulation, allow the cancer to continue growing even when it should be dying from the medication.
To fight back, scientists are looking at new ways to break through these defenses. These include using special delivery systems to get the drug where it needs to go, combining paclitaxel with other treatments, and targeting the specific molecular signals that help the cancer resist. While these strategies are still being developed and face challenges in moving into standard clinical use, they offer a roadmap for more precise ways to treat resistant cancers.
