On Sept. 14, 2008, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers and colleagues have shown that increased expression of a gene called SIRT1 in cancer cells plays a significant role in the development of resistance to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

The SIRT1 gene, which regulates several important cellular processes including nutrient use and metabolism, appeared to contribute to the development of cisplatin resistance by reducing the uptake and use of glucose by cells and by altering the function of their mitochondria, which are cellular structures that produce most of the energy in cells. These findings were published in the Molecular Cancer Research.