About half of all of cancer patients, including those with thoracic (lung and chest) cancers, receive radiation therapy (RT) as part of their treatment. However, many patients don’t respond to RT due to radioresistance – either intrinsic resistance to RT or acquired resistance after initially responding to treatment, leading to recurrence of the cancer. This underscores the urgent need to understand why radioresistance occurs and to identify new treatments for it.

Metal ions are essential for many normal cell functions, but abnormal levels of some metals can cause oxidative stress and cell death. When metal levels in cells are not properly regulated, it can lead to therapy resistance, including RT.

This project aims to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of metal chemistry and biology in order to develop strategies to combat radioresistance in thoracic cancers. The multidisciplinary research team, led by experts in cancer biology, radiation oncology and chemical biology, will use advanced tools and resources from their institutions to bridge the gap between basic research in metal chemistry and the clinical applications of metal-based therapies to target radioresistance. The goal is to advance the understanding of metal chemistry and biology, paving the way for new metal-based therapies to overcome radioresistance in cancer treatment.