Light switch wakes lung cancer cells up from a protective dormant state

Article excerpt

Lung cancer cells can enter a dormant state triggered by stress hormones, making them resistant to chemotherapy and other treatments. Inside these cells, glucocorticoid receptors detect the hormones and shut down division, rendering the cancer virtually invisible to drugs. Researchers have identified this protective mechanism, essentially a biological "light switch" that tumors flip during periods of stress. Understanding how to reverse this dormancy could unlock new approaches to treating certain lung cancers that currently evade standard therapies.