Background: The problem posed by the lack of response of cells in most solid cancers to current chemotherapy generally remains intractable.
Materials and methods: The use of cDNA arrays represents one global approach to identifying reasons for this failure. A messenger RNA response of pancreatic cancer (Panc-1) cells after culture for 24 hours with 12 microM cis-platinum was analyzed with a commercial cDNA array.
Results: Major drug-induced events included inhibition of messenger RNAs associated with cell proliferation and up-regulation of generally countervailing DNA repair, cellular stress, heat shock protein, glutathione stress-related and multiple drug resistance enzyme messenger RNAs, accompanied by a limited programmed cell death response.
Conclusion: Induction of widespread normal stress-induced countervailing mRNAs by comparatively non-selective agents such as cis-platinum strongly biases against a successful therapeutic outcome. This paradoxical result of a therapeutic intent provides a further compelling argument for the use of specifically-targeted therapy such as growth factor receptor, tyrosine kinase and other discretely focused agents, probably employed in combinations based on expression of their targets in an individual patient's cancer, as identified by cDNA or proteonomic arrays.