Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors that seriously influence human survival. Its mortality rate has been among the top of the global malignant tumors. Comprehensive treatment scheme mainly with chemotherapy is generally adopted

but the curative effect is not ideal. The main reason is that the lung cancer cells produce multi-drug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy drugs. The drug resistance incidence of lung adenocarcinoma in recent years is higher than that of squamous cell carcinomas. Multi-drug resistant cell line A549/DDP of lung adenocarcinoma induced by cis-Dichlorodiamineplatinum (DDP) is very representative. Therefore

further study of lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cells MDR mechanisms and looking for safe and effective reversal agents have become the urgent matter. Literature retrieval research has shown that lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cells multi-drug resistance mechanism mainly involves membrane transport protein-mediated drug efflux pump mechanism

enzyme-mediated tumor cells detoxification and repair enhancements

abnormal apoptosis regulation genes

antiapoptotic mechanism of signal transduction factors and immune escape caused by Epithelial-Mesenchymal transit (EMT). Reversal agents of traditional Chinese medicines aiming at lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cells multi-drug resistance are mainly related to traditional Chinese medicine monomer

traditional Chinese medicine compound

single Chinese medicine and its effective components

and extraction of compounds. Here we will further review lung adenocarcinoma A549/DDP cells multi-drug resistant mechanism and research progress of reversal agents in traditional Chinese medicine.