The effectiveness of chemotherapyTreatment of cancer patients with anticancer drugs. Commonly called 'chemo'. These drugs work by attacking cell growth or division. Often these agents are used in combination to take advantage of their different modes of attack on cell division. drugs is often limited by their capacity to penetrate their target cells. Unfortunately, tumor cells do not always make this process easy. Many have layers of thick oligosaccharide mucin chains, and these provide a physical barrier to the drugs. A recent study published by the American Institute of Physics has shown that cancer cells with these glycoproteinA protein that has been modified by the addition of one or more sugar molecules (carbohydrates). The addition of the sugar molecules alters the properties/function of the protein. Many proteins located on the outside of cell membranes are glycoproteins. layers are more resistant to chemotherapy. The chemotherapy drug benzyl-α-GalNac, however, functions by inhibiting glycosylation and thus offers a viable option for overcoming this mechanical resistance to treatment.
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