Cytotoxic Stress Attenuates Growth Factor Signaling and Sensites Membranes to Oxidative Damage. CREDIT: Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/S41467-025-56711-2
One Private Challenge in the Treatment of Cancer Is Therapy Resistance. An International Research Team now Discoved a Mechanism That OpenS Up New Treatment Strategies for Tumors in Which Conventional Chemotherapeutic Agents have Reated Their Limits.
“Cytotoxic Agents From Nature Lead To an Increased Incorporation of Polyunsaturated Fatty accidents into the membrane of cancer Cells. This makes them them more susceptable to Ferptosis, A Type of Cell Death, At a Very Early Stage,” Reports Andreas Koeberle, Pharmacist at the University of GRAZ AND LEAD AUTHOR OF THE STUDY, WHICH HAS BEEN published in Nature Communications.
In the Treatment of Cancer with Chemotherapy, Nature Substances, Such As Those from the Chinese “Happy Tree”, Play An Important Role. They interfere with Vital Cell Processes and Thereby Damage Them. However, the Few Cancer Cells Are Often Able To Adapt To These Challenges And Survive. This is Called Resistance.
While Studying the Effect of Various Cytotoxic Natural Products on Different Cancer Cells, Koeberle from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Graz Has DiscoVously Unknown Mechanism That Could Point to New Therapeutic Options in the event of Such Resistance.
“When the Cancer Cells Come into contact with the Active Substance, They Show Stress Reaction. Even at this very early Stage, Long Before They Might Possibly Die, Reduced Growth Signals Caused Increated Levels of Polyunsaturated Fatty Fatty Fatty to Be Incorporated into the membrane. This makes them them more susceptible to a private cell death pathway, Ferptosis, “Explains the Researcher.
“The Mechanism Appears to Be Universal. This means that it can be observed in all the cancer Cells Examined and in Most Cytotoxic Agents.”
During Ferroptosis, Polyunsaturated Fatty accidents in cell membranes are Damaged by Oxygen Radicals. The membranes becoma Porous and the Cell Dies.
These Findings Create to Basis for the Systematic Research of Innovative Treatment Strategies for therapy-Resistant Tumors. Even IF Conventional Chemotherapeutic Agents of Not Kill The Cells, They at Least Trigger A Membrane Change That Can Be Utilized.
“By Adding Substances That Induce FerroPTOSIS, Cancer Cells Could Ultimately Be Eliminated Completely,” Koeberle says.
Researchers from Innsbruck, Hamburg, Jena, Salzburg, Tokyo and Valbonne, Among Other Places, Were Also Involved in the Study.
More information:
André Gollowitzer et al, Attenuated Growth Factor Signaling During Cell Death Initia Sensites Membranes Towards Peroxidation, Nature Communications (2025). DOI: 10.1038/S41467-025-56711-2
PROVIDED by University of Graz
Citation: Harnessing Nature’s Power: Cytotoxic Agents Expose Cancer Cells to Ferptosis (2025, February 25) Retrieved 25 February 2025 from
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