title: Apoptosis in cancer: cause and cure.
abstract: The accumulation of neoplastic cells can occur through enhanced proliferation, diminished cell turnover, or a combination of both processes. Although the potential contribution of diminished cell turnover to tumor development has been appreciated for a decade, more recent studies in animal models and clinical cancer specimens have elucidated the mechanisms by which alterations in the apoptotic machinery contribute to the process of carcinogenesis. At the same time, a different group of studies have demonstrated the feasibility of eliminating neoplastic cells by selectively inducing apoptosis. In this essay, we review recent developments in the fields of carcinogenesis and molecular therapeutics in light of new understanding of apoptotic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology Research and Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Mayo Graduate School, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Kaufmann.Scott@Mayo.edu
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gores
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
chemical_list: D020169:Caspases; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011506:Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C105190:TNFRSF10A protein, human; C505639:TNFRSF10B protein, human