Research shows cell's inactive state is critical for effectiveness of cancer treatment
Sunday, January 11, 2009 - 15:14
in Biology & Nature
NEW YORK, January 9, 2009 – A new study sheds light on a little understood biological process called quiescence, which enables blood-forming stem cells to exist in a dormant or inactive state in which they are not growing or dividing. According to the study's findings, researchers identified the genetic pathway used to maintain a cell's quiescence, a state that allows bone marrow cells to escape the lethal effects of standard cancer treatments.