SJG-136 is a novel pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer analogue that acts as a minor-groove interstrand DNA cross-linking agent. The present study investigated the impact of ABCB1 (mdr-1) expression on the activity of SJG-136 using both in vitro and in vivo systems. SJG-136 was highly potent in the colon cancer cell lines HCT-116, HT-29 and SW620 (IC50 0.1-0.3 nM). However, HCT-8 and HCT-15 cells expressing significant levels of mdr-1 were less sensitive (IC50 2.3 and 3.7 nM, respectively) using a SRB assay. The cytotoxicity was increased in HCT-15 and A2780(AD) in presence of 5 microg/ml verapamil. Mdr-1 mRNA expression was determined by qRT-PCR and correlated to SJG-136 IC50s (r2=0.86, P=0.0001). Isogenic 3T3 cells expressing mdr-1 cDNA (3T3 pHamdr-1) were less sensitive to SJG-136 than the parental 3T3 cells (IC50 208 and 6.3 nM, respectively). Finally, SJG-136 (120 microg/kg/d dx5) was highly active against A2780 xenografts (SGD=275) but not A2780(AD) xenografts (SGD=67).