Multidrug Resistance
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the capability of a pathogen or cancer cell to survive and/or become tolerant to multiple drugs. MDR is a major obstacle to successful chemotherapy and is an increasingly important public health concern. The emergence of MDR in bacteria, fungi and cancer cells has made managing various infectious and malignant diseases difficult. The development of MDR is typically the result of genetic mutations, which lead to altered targets or the acquisition of transporter proteins, which physically pump the drug out of the cell. Alternative resistance mechanisms include decreased drug uptake, enzymatic drug degradation, and drug efflux. Various strategies such as combination therapy and inhibitors of drug resistance have been developed to combat MDR. These strategies have helped to reduce the number of drug-resistant pathogens and make modern-day treatments more effective.
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