Resistance to anticancer drugs is a major problem in oncology

which causes the failure of antitumor treatment. A variety of factors contribute to drug resistance

including drug efflux and metabolism

tumor cell heterogeneity

tumor microenvironment stress-induced genetic or epigenetic alterations in the cancer cells and so on. However

how to circumvent this resistance to improve anticancer efficacy remains to be determined. To circumvent chemotherapeutic resistance

many reversal agents have been developed

but most of them fail in clinical trials due to severe adverse effects. Recently

several natural products have been reported to augment sensitivity or overcome resistance of anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs

including elemene

curcumin

Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (参芪扶正注射液)

PHY906

etc. Thus

understanding the novel function of Chinese medicine may allow us to develop a promising therapeutic approach to enhance the effects of anticancer strategies and prevent or overcome their resistance in the treatment of cancer patients.