‘Multidrug resistance’ (MDR) is a difficult challenge for cancer treatment. The combined role of cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs) and active efflux transporters (AETs) in cancer cells appears relevant in inducing MDR. Chemotherapeutic drugs can be substrates of both CYPs and AETs and CYP inducers or inhibitors can produce the same effects on AETs. In addition, a small subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) appears to survive conventional chemotherapy, leading to recurrent disease. Natural products appear efficacious against CSCs; their combinational treatments with standard chemotherapy are promising for cancer eradication, in particular when supported by nanotechnologies.

“多药耐药性”（MDR）是癌症治疗的一项艰巨挑战。癌细胞中细胞色素 P450 酶 (CYP) 和活性外排转运蛋白 (AET) 的联合作用似乎与诱导 MDR 相关。化疗药物可以是 CYPs 和 AETs 的底物，CYP 诱导剂或抑制剂可以对 AETs 产生相同的作用。此外，一小部分癌症干细胞样细胞 (CSC) 似乎可以在常规化疗中存活下来，从而导致疾病复发。天然产物似乎对 CSC 有效；他们与标准化疗的联合治疗有望根除癌症，尤其是在纳米技术的支持下。