Alleviation of Multidrug Resistance by Flavonoid and Non-Flavonoid Compounds in Breast, Lung, Colorectal, and Prostate Cancer

The document from January 8, 2020, explores the potential of phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and non-flavonoids, to counteract multidrug resistance (MDR) in solid tumors such as breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer. MDR is a major challenge in cancer therapy, characterized by the cancer cells' ability to evade the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs through various mechanisms like increased drug efflux, drug inactivation, and modification of drug targets. The document highlights the promise of natural compounds, such as flavones, phenolcarboxylic acids, ellagitannins, stilbens, lignans, curcumin, and others, in enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy by inhibiting efflux pumps, inducing apoptosis, and modulating key signaling pathways. While in vitro studies and some clinical trials have shown encouraging results, the document concludes that more research, including pre-clinical and clinical studies, is necessary to confirm the efficacy of these compounds in vivo and to understand their mechanisms in overcoming MDR.