Researchers at Durham University have identified a possible reason some lung cancers become resistant to chemotherapy: several metals associated with smoking and pollution may work together inside tumour cells to weaken treatment.
The findings come from a study by Durham’s Biosciences and Chemistry Department, carried out with Pleco Therapeutics in the Netherlands. The research found that combinations of metals made lung cancer treatment far less effective in laboratory tests. However, the work remains preclinical and experimental, meaning further research and clinical studies are needed before the approach could be considered for use in people.
How the metals affected cancer cells
Scientists tested low levels of copper, zinc, manganese, chromium, cadmium and lead, all of which were described as metals commonly associated with lung cancer. When tested individually, the metals had only limited effects on the cancer cells.
When combined, however, the metals caused the lung cancer cells to become strongly resistant to chemotherapy drugs. The researchers say this is the first study to show that multiple metals can cooperate in this way to drive resistance to treatment.
The team believes the metals may increase harmful stress signals inside cancer cells. Those signals could help the cells survive chemotherapy, although researchers say they will continue investigating exactly how the process works.
Existing drug restored treatment sensitivity
The study also found that the resistance was not permanent. Researchers tested MiADMSA, a compound originally developed to treat metal poisoning. The drug can enter cells and remove several different metals at the same time.
When MiADMSA was used alongside chemotherapy, the cancer cells became sensitive to treatment again. Researchers reported the same effect in mice, where the combined treatment reduced tumour growth linked to exposure to the metals.
The result raises the possibility of pairing chemotherapy with metal-removal treatment in future. According to the research team, such combination therapies could improve outcomes for patients and potentially reduce side effects, but that possibility has not yet been established in clinical care.
What happens next
The Durham-led team will now examine more closely how metals help tumours survive chemotherapy. It will also investigate whether the same approach could work in other cancers where metal build-up has been reported.
MiADMSA is currently being studied for use in clinical trials only. The researchers stress that clinical studies are still needed to establish whether the treatment is safe and effective in people.
The study was led by Dr Patricia Muller and Dr William Brittain. The full paper was published in Cell, Death and Discovery. Durham University said its Department of Biosciences is ranked third in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2026.