{
  "id": 1710409,
  "title": "Heavy metals may help lung cancer resist chemotherapy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/heavy-metals-may-help-lung-cancer-resist-chemotherapy",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-18T12:40:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-heavy-metals-lung-cancer-resist.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers at Durham University have uncovered that certain metals commonly found in relation to smoking and pollution may contribute to lung cancer's resistance to chemotherapy. A study conducted in collaboration with Pleco Therapeutics from the Netherlands tested low concentrations of metals such as copper, zinc, manganese, chromium, cadmium, and lead on lung cancer cells. While individual metals had little impact, combining them significantly enhanced the cancer cells' ability to withstand chemotherapy drugs. Published in Cell Death Discovery, this research is the first to demonstrate that multiple metals can collaborate to induce treatment resistance. The scientists also found that this resistance is not permanent, as a compound named MiADMSA, typically used to treat metal poisoning, can enter cells and eliminate several metals simultaneously. When MiADMSA is used in conjunction with chemotherapy, the cancer cells once again become susceptible to treatment. This effect was also observed in mice, where the treatment reduced tumor growth linked to metal exposure. The researchers hypothesize that metals trigger harmful stress signals within cancer cells, enabling them to survive chemotherapy. The findings could potentially lead to new combination therapies, pairing chemotherapy with metal-removal treatments to improve patient outcomes and potentially lessen side effects. The team aims to investigate further how metals aid tumor survival and whether this approach could be applicable in other cancers where metal accumulation has been reported.",
  "summary": "Researchers from the Biosciences and Chemistry Department at Durham University have discovered that combinations of metals linked to smoking and pollution may help lung cancer become resistant to chemotherapy. The study, carried out with Pleco Therapeutics (Netherlands), found that several metals can work together inside tumor cells, making cancer treatment far less effective.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}