Health · Medical Research · 4 hrs ago
Chemotherapy survivors can become giant cells that may help tumors return
A team led by researchers at Trinity College Dublin studied cancer cells that survived chemotherapy in laboratory experiments, with some tests in mice.
After exposure to two chemotherapy drugs, some cervical, bowel and lung cancer cells stopped dividing but remained alive and grew to many times their normal size.
These senescent, or “zombie,” cells released signals that can attract immune cells involved in tissue repair.
In tumors, those signals may help create conditions that support tumor growth and could contribute to tumors returning.
The team found that IAP proteins helped the damaged cells evade self-destruction, even though the cells’ death receptors were active.
Two drugs that block IAP proteins killed the senescent cells in lab tests, while adding them alongside chemotherapy also reduced the number of surviving cells.
The findings have not been tested in patients; some IAP-blocking drugs have entered clinical trials, but the experiments do not show whether this approach will help people with cancer.
Some cancer cells that survive chemotherapy can stop dividing, grow to many times their normal size and remain alive.
A Dublin-led team found that proteins called IAPs help these senescent cells survive by blocking their self-destruct signals.
In laboratory tests, two drugs that block IAPs killed the senescent cancer cells and reduced the number of survivors when given with chemotherapy.
The research was conducted mainly in human cancer cells grown in the lab, with some experiments in mice, and did not involve patients.
- Who
- A team led by Seamus Martin at Trinity College Dublin, with postdoctoral fellow Gokhan Gunay and collaborators.
- What
- The team identified how IAP proteins help chemotherapy-surviving cancer cells stay alive and tested drugs that block those proteins.
- When
- The article was published on 13 November 2026. The experiments included a three-hour chemotherapy dose.
- Where
- Trinity College Dublin led the work, with collaborators in Cologne and Melbourne. Most experiments used human cancer cells grown in a lab.
- Why
- The team investigated why some cancer cells survive chemotherapy and may help tumors return.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The team exposed cervical, bowel and lung cancer cells to cisplatin or etoposide for three hours.
About 40% of the cells had died.
The surviving cells had stopped dividing and remained alive in a senescent state.
BV6 and birinapant wiped out IAP proteins inside cells.
- Research lead
- Seamus Martin, Trinity College Dublin
- Chemotherapy drugs tested
- Cisplatin and etoposide
- Cell types
- Cervical, bowel and lung cancer cells
- Cells killed within two days
- About 40%
- IAP-blocking drugs tested
- BV6 and birinapant
- Study setting
- Mainly human cancer cells grown in the lab; some experiments in mice
What people are saying
IAPs act as the antidote to the killing effects of Death Receptors that enable the senescent cells to survive
However, this now leaves the senescent cells in a state of addiction to the IAPs for their continued survival, which now makes them extremely vulnerable to IAP antagonists.
These are really bizarre-looking cells
They are truly gigantic when compared with normal cells (approx. 10X normal size) and this is highly unusual behavior for cells, even cancer cells.