We have developed several resistant cancer cell models that closely reflect the resistance commonly seen in cancer treatment.

These resistant cancer cells have been used to investigate new treatments that circumvent this resistance.

We have shown that when these resistant cells are treated for 1 hour with a low dose of taxol (a drug used in cancer chemotherapy), they lose their drug resistance.

This increase in drug sensitivity is only seen for the drug resistant cells as similar taxol treatment of the sensitive cells does not increase their drug sensitivity. Conventional higher doses of taxol do not sensitise the resistant cells.

Taxol may therefore not only have a role as a conventional chemotherapeutic drug but it may be used at much lower doses to return resistant cancer cells to their sensitive state.

Conventional chemotherapy would then be active against these previously resistant cancer cells.