Biochemical modulation of cisplatin mechanisms of action:: Enhancement of antitumor activity and circumvention of drug resistance

Biochemical modulation concerns the manipulation of cellular biochemical pathways by chemical agents to produce selective enhancement of the efficacy of an antitumor drug such as cisplatin. Cisplatin is highly effective in the treatment of testicular and ovarian cancers. However, some tumors such as colorectal and nonsmall cell lung cancers have intrinsic resistance to cisplatin. This review gives an update of the state-of-the-art of the biochemical modulation of cisplatin mechanisms of resistance. It is emphasized that biochemical modulation of cisplatin mechanisms of resistance offers multiple opportunities for future applications in clinical cancer research.