Resveratrol reverses Doxorubicin resistance by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through modulating PTEN/Akt signaling pathway in gastric cancer

Background Gastric cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Most of patients presenting with inoperable gastric cancers rely on systemic chemotherapy for prolongation of survival. Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the important agents against gastric cancer. Acquired DOX-resistance severely impedes the chemotherapeutic effect, invariably leading to poor prognosis. Resveratrol (RES) as a kind of phytoalexin has demonstrated anti-tumor functions in breast cancer and myeloid leukemia, but its function and mechanism are still unknown in gastric cancer treatment.