New Discoveries and Honors in Cancer Research

Read the latest cancer research and recognition from the members of the Damon Runyon scientific circle.
March 26, 2015
Blocking cellular mechanism may make chemotherapy more effective

Maximilian W. Popp, PhD (HHMI-Damon Runyon Fellow '12-'15) and colleagues at the University of Rochester, Rochester, discovered that stopping a cellular quality-control mechanism can make chemotherapy more effective. This mechanism is called NMD (nonsense-mediated mRNA decay). The researchers found that exposing breast cancer cells to a molecule that inhibits NMD prior to treatment with doxorubicin, a drug used to treat leukemia, breast, bone, lung and other cancers, speeds cancer cell death. The results provide insights that could lead to new treatment strategies for cancer patients in the future. These findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.