Researchers at Koç University discovered why a promising class of cancer treatments fail, and their findings point to how such treatments might be made to work. The research revealed the mechanisms behind the development of resistance by cancer cells to TRAIL, or tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand. As reported in Oncogene, the scientists showed that combining TRAIL with proteasome inhibitors, drugs that block the action of cellular complexes that break down proteins, can overcome this resistance, opening up new avenues for cancer treatment.