Cancer can play dead during chemotherapy, doctors have discovered. "Zombie" cells do not divide, but cling to life thanks to IAP proteins and draw resources from the body. Researchers at Trinity College have found a way to attack this defense. New blockers force dormant cancer cells to activate the self-destruction process. The discovery should help in the creation of targeted drugs against recurrent tumors. Scientists are now looking for a way to safely combine blockers with current treatments.

Cancer can play dead during chemotherapy, doctors have discovered. "Zombie" cells do not divide, but cling to life thanks to IAP proteins and draw resources from the body. Researchers at Trinity College have found a way to attack this defense. New blockers force dormant cancer cells to activate the self-destruction process. The discovery should help in the creation of targeted drugs against recurrent tumors. Scientists are now looking for a way to safely combine blockers with current treatments.