There is growing evidence that non-tumour components of ascites are significant in driving chemoresistance.62 For example, cholesterol in ascites upregulates the expression of the multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) efflux pump in ovarian cancer cell lines,63 whereas cholesterol depletion inhibits cisplatin resistance.63 However, cholesterol depletion did not affect resistance to paclitaxel in most cell lines studied. The gene discussed is ABCB1; the disease is ovarian cancer.