Researchers have uncovered a new pathway via which cancer cells evade the effects of radiation by deploying self-inflicted – but reversible – DNA breaks to stop the cell cycle and ensure their survival. The lesions are caused by caspase-activated DNase (CAD), an enzyme involved in DNA fragmentation during cell death. In response to radiation, tumor cells activate CAD, causing genome-wide DNA breaks at sites involved in DNA repair.

Researchers have uncovered a new pathway via which cancer cells evade the effects of radiation by deploying self-inflicted – but reversible – DNA breaks to stop the cell cycle and ensure their survival.