A Marine Natural Products as Modulators of Multidrug Resistance

Abstract

Multidrug resistance (MDR) which enable the tumor cells to possess intrinsic or acquired cross resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic agents simultaneously is considered to be a major challenge in cancer chemotherapy during the 21st century. numerous efflux pumps and transport proteins have been found to play important roles in MDR either the phenomenon of lowering the total intracellular retention of chemotherapeutic drugs or the redistribution of intracellular accumulation of drugs away from target organelles are two of the basic mechanisms involved in this process of MDR by transmembrane proteins which are expressed in varying concentrations in different neoplasms. Multiple compounds that have the potential to inhibit these pumps or proteins can be a future prospective for adjuvant treatment of neoplastic conditions. In this regard, compounds derived from natural products bear the advantages of low-cost and relative nontoxicity thus providing a great pool of lead structures for chemical derivatizations. This review gives an overview on chemical substances isolated from natural products of marine origin which possess the MDR modulating properties