Researchers discover how cancer cells resist treatment

The study, led by David Litchfield, PhD, professor and Chair Department of Biochemistry at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at the university, discovered that cancer cells can “rewire” biochemical pathways to avoid signals meant to trigger their death.

Litchfield said, "This work focused on understanding how cancer cells acquire a selective survival advantage, allowing them to avoid apoptosis, the process required for normal cell turnover and chemically-induced cell death."

According to the authors of the study, the mechanism may be one way that cancer cells become unaffected from therapy.

Finding may lead to novel therapy, says researcher
Litchfield believes that the study will encourage more research into the field so that resistance to treatment for cancer cells can be prevented.

He stated, "Our work also provides encouragement for the development of novel therapeutic approaches that would prevent - or neutralize - this 'rewiring' to make sure that cancer cells respond to treatment."

The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and has been published in the journal ‘Science Signaling.’

Study included multidisciplinary approach
The study included multidisciplinary approaches like computational studies, proteomics, and system biology procedures to find the biochemical changes cancer cell produce to avoid its destruction.

Greg B. Gloor from Department of Biochemistry at the university aided the team with the computational part, Shawn Li of the same department helped with proteomics and system biology approaches.

The research group also worked together with Bernhard Luscher from RWTH Aachen University in Germany.