A recent study published in Molecular Cancer Research found an association between the expression of a histone deacetylase, SIRT1, and resistance to cisplatin. Cells that were initially sensitive to cisplatin were made resistant to the drug by continuous exposure. The researchers found high levels of SIRT1 in the resistant lines. Reducing the levels of SIRT1 made the cells more sensitive to cisplatin again. This study was conducted at the NCI. Although this is an early study performed in cell lines in the laboratory, it is important because while a great deal of effort goes into discovering biomarkers for targeted therapies, there has not been a lot of focus on finding biomarkers for traditional chemotherapies, like cisplatin-based drugs.
TMD has validated immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays for the detection and measurement of SIRT1 and SIRT2 in tissue. They can be used for pre-clinical development work such as xenograft studies or for clinical development in human tissue. Please contact us for more information about our SIRT1 or SIRT2 assays.