STANFORD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Much to the dismay of patients and physicians, cancer stem cells—tiny powerhouses that generate and maintain tumor growth in many types of cancers—are relatively resistant to the ionizing radiation often used as therapy for these conditions. Part of the reason, say researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, is the presence of a protective pathway meant to shield normal stem cells from DNA damage. When the researchers blocked this pathway, the cells became more susceptible to radiation.
