In vitro methods for studying the mechanisms of resistance to DNA-damaging therapeutic drugs

Abstract

Most commonly used anticancer drugs exert their effects mainly by causing DNA damage. The enhancement in DNA damage response (DDR) is considered a key mechanism that enables cancer cells to survive through eliminating the damaged DNA lesions and thereby developing resistance to DNA-damaging agents. This chapter describes the four experimental approaches for studying DDR and genotoxic drug resistance, including the use of γ-H2AX and comet assays to monitor DNA damage and repair capacity as well as the use of clonogenic and β-galactosidase staining assays to assess long-term cell fate after DNA-damaging treatment. Finally, we also present examples of these methods currently used in our laboratory for studying the role of FOXM1 in DNA damage-induced senescence and epirubicin resistance.