The Role of Immune-therapy in Delaying the Drug Induced Resistance in Cancer

Drug-induced resistance may occur during a phase of chemotherapy. This type of drug resistance is a major obstacle against cancer treatment. Some current reported results indicate that the strength of the immune system may affect the occurrence of the drug-induced resistance. In this work, the dynamics of tumor cells in the presence of the drug-induced resistance are expressed by a system of coupled differential equations. The model is then modified to include the components of the immune system and immunotherapeutic agents. Under this modification, the evolution of normal and tumor cells is simulated under different experimental conditions. The results indicate that the boosted immune system can create a delay in the occurrence of the drug-resistant tumor cells. Such a delay, which has been clinically observed, may lead to more effective therapeutic strategies and more successful outcomes.