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This is interesting preclinical work from researchers at UT Health San Antonio. Radiation therapy, while effective at shrinking glioblastoma tumors, can unfortunately help drive recurrence by inducing senescence in cancer cells. These senescent cells secrete growth factors that later promote the regrowth of surviving tumor cells. However, the UT researchers found that administering the senolytic drug birinapant after radiation selectively eliminates these senescent cells by targeting the anti-apoptotic protein cIAP2. In their mouse models, this approach (radiation followed by birinapant) delayed or prevented recurrence without harming healthy cells; notably, 2 out of 9 mice (22%) survived beyond 120 days with no tumor recurrence. This new study helps build on earlier research on senolytics in glioblastoma, but birinapant’s specificity for cIAP2 is a novel advancement. We hope to see continued research on this approach.