Understanding Why Some Tumors Survive Heat Shock Treatment

Hyperthermia, a cancer treatment using controlled heat to kill tumor cells, shows promise but faces limitations due to some tumor cells' unexpected heat resistance. Researchers from Japan have now discovered that high cholesterol levels in cancer cell membranes act as a protective barrier, shielding against heat-induced membrane breakdown. When cholesterol was depleted using drugs, previously heat-resistant tumors became vulnerable to hyperthermia treatment, opening new possibilities for personalized cancer therapy targeting cholesterol levels to improve outcomes.