A TEAM of North West scientists is paving the way for new life-saving treatments by studying patients' resistance to chemotherapy.

Every year more than 40,000 patients in Britain die because their tumours become resistant to chemotherapy - a course of anti-cancer drugs.

Scientists working for the Cancer Research Campaign at the University of Manchester recently published an investigation of a molecule called P-glycoprotein, which is responsible for this.

"We know this molecule manages to pump chemotherapy drugs out of cancer cells," says Dr Mark Rosenberg, from the research team.

"By looking at the molecule under a powerful electron microscope which magnifies it 40-60,000 times, and then enhancing that image by computer, we are trying to pinpoint exactly how it works," he added.

The Scientific Director of the Cancer Research Campaign, Dr Trevor Hince, is attaching great importance to the research as many cancer patients are treated with chemotherapy if their disease cannot be treated by surgery or radiation.

"Chemotherapy is one of our main lines of attack against cancer and it's vital that this treatment is available to as many patients as possible.

"Our work in Manchester could lead to new ways of making chemotherapy more effective and potentially save tens of thousands of lives," he added.

The Cancer Research Campaign is the European leader in anti-cancer drug development and funds around a third of all research into cancer in Britain.

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