When cells suffer too much DNA damage, they are usually forced to undergo programmed cell death, or apoptosis. However, cancer cells often ignore these signals, flourishing even after chemotherapy drugs have ravaged their DNA. A new finding from MIT researchers may offer a way to overcome that resistance: The team has identified a key protein involved in an alternative death pathway known as programmed necrosis. Drugs that mimic the effects of this protein could push cancer cells that are resistant to apoptosis into necrosis instead. Read more here.
Study mentioned: Fu D, et al. Human ALKBH7 is required for alkylation and oxidation-induced programmed necrosis. Genes Dev. 2013 May 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 23666923
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