Cancer cells hibernate to hide from chemotherapy

According to new research, Cancer cells are capable of hibernating like a “bear in winter” when they are threatened by the attack of chemotherapy treatments, thereby surviving out in the scarce period which causes treatment failures and relapse of the tumor cells.

Researchers found that colorectal cancer calls go for hibernation and stops expanding while in a Petri dish cell they are exposed to chemotherapy.

When chemotherapy is removed this cell starts regrowth and behaves the same way when subjected to chemo treatment again. This is known as embryonic diapause. By targeting and inhibiting this process researchers are finally able to break this hibernating state and kill the cancer cell off.