A simple ingredient used to bake bread has helped scientists unravel a complex problem in the fight against cancer. Yeast, which is used by bakers to make dough rise, has been studied to see how chemotherapy could be improved. Chemotherapy aims to kill cancer cells. By studying yeast cells, the researchers were able to see how they managed to survive the treatment. The researchers now hope to see if human cells use a similar mechanism to block drugs that kill cancer. The scientists are funded by Scottish-based charity the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR) and Cancer Research UK. Dr Alain Verreault and his colleague Dr Hiroshi Masumoto, in collaboration with researchers in Texas, chose agents used in the treatment of cancer that kill cells by causing DNA damage.
