Cancer cells 'fake' death to survive therapy: Study
Some cancer cells have a sneaky trick—they can fake their own death to dodge treatment.
A new study from UC San Diego found that these "persister" cells use an enzyme called DFFB to survive targeted therapies, basically escaping drug-induced growth arrest and coming back later as tumors.
How do these cancer cells pull it off?
In lab models of melanoma, lung, and breast cancer, persister cells hit pause on growing when treated, then activate DFFB to mess with their own DNA.
This lets them eventually start growing again—even after therapy.
Why does this matter for future treatments?
Researchers noticed that without DFFB, these stubborn cells stayed quiet and didn't regrow—plus, normal (non-cancer) cells don't even need DFFB.
This means blocking DFFB could help stop resistant cancers from returning after treatment, giving doctors a new way to keep cancer at bay.