There chemotherapy is one of the most widely used weapons in the fight against cancer. However, this approach, which involves treating patients with drugs that target tumor cells, is not infallible. Some cancer cells can survive, reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have just discovered how these rebels defend themselves… and how they can be stopped. Their discovery, published on October 23, 2026 in Science Advances, could improve the effectiveness of these cancer therapies.
Chemotherapy causes certain cells to become senescent.
Some chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin and etoposide, damage the genetic material (DNA) of cancer cells. This then leads to the death of these cells through apoptosis (programmed cell death). However, not all targeted cells die: some find a way to survive by becoming senescent.
English 
French