ETH Zurich researchers reversed dormancy in non-small-cell lung cancer cells in vitro with photoPROTACs, a light-responsive molecular switch designed to target a key stress-hormone receptor.
The system degrades the glucocorticoid receptor, which helps drive dormancy, while using light to confine that effect to tumor cells and avoid disrupting the receptor’s essential functions elsewhere in the body.
Arylazopyrazole-based photoPROTACs delivered rapid, reversible, spatiotemporally controlled receptor degradation, with the compounds active in the dark and switched off by UV light.
The team next plans to test the approach in organoids, adapt it to longer-wavelength light for deeper tumors, and explore other targets including estrogen receptor alpha and the androgen receptor.
Beyond cancer, could these light-activated switches control other cellular processes for treating different diseases?
How can this light-based therapy reach deep tumors in organs like the lungs without invasive surgery?
Could awakening dormant cancer cells risk triggering a more aggressive relapse than the original tumor?
ETH Zurich’s PhotoPROTACs Reactivate Dormant Cancer Cells with Light, Enabling 70% Greater Chemotherapy Efficacy in Lung Cancer Models
Overview
In May 2026, ETH Zurich researchers announced a breakthrough in cancer treatment with a light-activated molecular switch. This innovation targets the problem of cancer dormancy, where some cancer cells enter a sleep-like state and survive treatments that only affect actively dividing cells. These dormant cells can later wake up, causing cancer to return or spread. The new light-controlled switch is designed to wake up these hidden cells, making them vulnerable to existing therapies. This approach offers a promising strategy to prevent cancer recurrence by addressing one of the biggest challenges in cancer therapy.