5-Fluorouracil: Mechanisms of resistance and reversal strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to review the published studies on the mechanisms of action and resistance of 5-fluorouracil. The review is divided into three main sections: mechanisms of anti-tumor action, studies of the resistance to the drug, and procedures for the identification of new genes involved in resistance with microarray techniques. The details of the induction and reversal of the drug resistance are also described. © 2008 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International.