The Hedgehog inhibitor cyclopamine antagonizes chemoresistance of breast cancer cells

Chemoresistance of cancer cells has been a severe problem in multiple types of cancers. One possibility is to combine different drugs with chemotherapy for improved efficacy. Cyclopamine blocks Hedgehog signaling by antagonizing Smo function, which induces tumor apoptosis. Here, we show that the combined use of cyclopamine and paclitaxel (chemotherapy drugs) was able to induce breast cancer cell apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. The results suggest that Hedgehog signaling is a prospective drug target for chemoresistant cancer cells.