Health · Medical Research · 22 hrs ago
Study identifies a possible way to kill cancer cells that survive chemotherapy
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin studied cancer cells that survive chemotherapy by entering a state called senescence, in which they stop dividing but remain alive.
The chemotherapy can damage a cell’s DNA and trigger signals that tell it to self-destruct.
IAP proteins can block those death signals, allowing some damaged cells to survive.
These cells can grow much larger and release inflammatory signals that may draw immune cells and help create conditions that support cancer cells.
In laboratory tests, experimental IAP-blocking compounds killed senescent cells by allowing the self-destruction process to resume.
The findings point to a possible way to target cells left behind after chemotherapy, but the results are preclinical, not evidence of benefit for patients.
Researchers would need further studies to find out which cancers might respond and whether the approach is safe and effective in people.
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin identified proteins that may help some cancer cells survive chemotherapy.
The cells can stop dividing but remain alive in a state called therapy-induced senescence.
The study found that IAP proteins can block cell-death signals triggered by chemotherapy-related DNA damage.
In laboratory tests, experimental IAP antagonists reactivated those signals and eliminated senescent cells.
The findings are preclinical and do not show that the approach benefits patients.
- Who
- Researchers Seamus Martin and Gokhan Gunay and their team at Trinity College Dublin.
- What
- The study identified a role for IAP proteins in helping some cancer cells survive chemotherapy and found that experimental IAP antagonists could eliminate senescent cells in tests.
- When
- The study was published on 23 October 2026.
- Where
- Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; the research used laboratory cancer cell lines and included some tests in animal models.
- Why
- To understand how some cancer cells survive chemotherapy and identify a possible way to eliminate them.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The study by researchers at Trinity College Dublin was published in Science Advances.
Mondosanità and Focus.it published reports on the findings.
- Research team
- Seamus Martin and Gokhan Gunay, Trinity College Dublin
- Publication
- Science Advances, 23 October 2026
- Cell state
- Therapy-induced senescence
- Proteins implicated
- IAP proteins, including cIAP-2
- Experimental approach
- IAP antagonists reactivated cell-death signals in laboratory tests
3 sources
What people are saying
The results suggest that we could weaken the defences of tumours by neutralising IAPs after administering chemotherapy drugs