Quantitative Analysis of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Uptake in Cancer Cells Using Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy

Abstract

Multidrug resistance remains a challenging problem in anti-cancer treatment. Transporters that regulate drug uptake and excretion are widely known to be the cause of multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor, a small molecule that binds to ATP-binding site of tyrosine kinase domain of epidermal growth factor receptors, is emerging as an alternative anti-cancer treatment drug or supplementary to chemotherapy. However, even the treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors face multidrug resistance. Although some studies show interactions between several tyrosine kinase inhibitors and different membrane transporters, much is left to be learned. Here, three different tyrosine kinase inhibitors lapatinib, afatinib, and osimertinib are examined with six drugs that inhibit solute carrier transporters using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.