Tumor cell "dead or alive": caspase and survivin regulate cell death, cell cycle and cell survival.
Cell death and cell cycle progression are two sides of the same coin, and these two different phenomenons are regulated moderately to maintain the cellular homeostasis. Tumor is one of the disease states produced as a result of the disintegrated regulation and is characterized as cells showing an irreversible progression of cell cycle and a resistance to cell death signaling. Several investigations have been performed for the understanding of cell death or cell cycle, and cell death research has remarkably progressed in these 10 years. Caspase is a nomenclature referring to ICE/CED-3 cysteine proteinase family and plays a central role during cell death. Recently, several investigations raised some possible hypotheses that caspase is also involved in cell cycle regulation. In this issue, therefore, we review the molecular basis of cell death and cell cycle regulated by caspase in tumor, especially hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
Suzuki
A
A
Basic Technology Research Laboratory, Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd, Tokyo R&D Center, Japan. LEB00373@nifty.ne.jp
Shiraki
K
K
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism*; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D016923:Cell Death; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D000077022:Survivin
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D020169:Caspases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases