What is the Origin of Therapeutic Resistance?

This term is a cornerstone of pharmacology and clinical medicine, combining "therapeutic," relating to the treatment of disease, with "resistance," denoting an inability to be affected by the intervention. It is a ubiquitous concept across infectious disease, oncology, and endocrinology. The concept is central to understanding treatment failure.

What is the Mechanism of Therapeutic Resistance?

The mechanism frequently involves cellular-level changes, such as the target tissue reducing the expression of the receptor that the therapeutic agent binds to, thereby minimizing the drug's effect. In hormonal therapy, chronic high-dose administration can lead to receptor desensitization, effectively creating a state of local hormone resistance. Alternatively, the body may upregulate enzymes that rapidly metabolize the therapeutic compound, prematurely clearing it from circulation and preventing it from reaching its target concentration.

Therapeutic Resistance ∞ Area

Therapeutic Resistance

Meaning

Therapeutic Resistance is the clinical phenomenon where a patient’s condition fails to respond adequately or sustainably to a standard or previously effective medical treatment, including hormonal replacement or metabolic intervention. This lack of efficacy often stems from underlying physiological adaptations, such as receptor down-regulation, altered drug metabolism, or compensatory activation of parallel signaling pathways. Overcoming resistance is a significant challenge in clinical practice, requiring a deeper investigation into the patient’s unique biological environment.