Queen's University study explores treatment-resistant bowel cancer

Researchers at Queen's University in Belfast, funded by Cancer Research UK, will study how bowel cancer cells develop resistance to genotoxic chemotherapy by examining RNA; early-onset cases are rising in UK adults aged 25–49.

Researchers in Belfast are carrying out a new study at Queen's University to explore how bowel cancer becomes resistant to chemotherapy. The project is funded by Cancer Research UK and focuses on RNA, the molecule that carries instructions from DNA to guide cell growth. Genotoxic chemotherapy drugs act by damaging DNA and RNA, but some cancer cells can later resume growth when they become resistant. Rising rates of early-onset bowel cancer in younger UK adults have contributed to the priority given to this research. What we know: - Queen's University researchers will investigate why bowel cancer cells stop responding to certain genotoxic chemotherapy drugs. - The team will examine RNA-based mechanisms that cancer cells may use to survive or recover after treatment. - Cancer Research UK is funding the study and describes treatment resistance as a common challenge in cancer care. - Bowel (colorectal) cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK; about 1,300 people are diagnosed each year in Northern Ireland and around 490 die from the disease. Summary: The study aims to clarify cellular mechanisms, focused on RNA, that allow some bowel cancers to resist chemotherapy, which researchers and funders say is a major challenge. The research will proceed under the Queen's University team led by Dr Susanta Chatterjee; a timeline for results is undetermined at this time.