Scientists from the University of New South Wales and the University of Technology Sydney have unveiled a mechanism by which cancer cells can escape the effects of a widely used chemotherapy treatment. Published in the Current Biology journal, their study revealed that cancer cells can activate a force-generating rescue mechanism to stabilize a crucial cell structure responsible for cell division.
During cell division (mitosis), microtubules within cells assist in segregating genetic material. Since cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal cells, they are susceptible to chemotherapy drugs that disrupt these microtubules. High doses of chemotherapy can effectively induce cell death by causing chaos in chromosome separation. However, at lower doses, cancer cells can initiate a rescue mechanism.
This mechanism enables cancer cells to recognize disrupted microtubules and activate a process to reconnect these fragments, allowing cancer cells to continue multiplying. To address this resistance mechanism, researchers plan to focus on developing drugs that can work in conjunction with current chemotherapy treatments.
These drugs will undergo refinement in animal models and preclinical studies before testing on patients. The goal is to target the force-generating machinery used by cancer cells, making cancer therapy more effective in treating the disease. Senior author Peter Gunning, a professor at the University of New South Wales, expressed hope that this discovery will enhance cancer treatment strategies.
