BAD: a good therapeutic target?
The major goal in cancer treatment is the eradication of tumor cells. Under stress conditions, normal cells undergo apoptosis; this property is fortunately conserved in some tumor cells, leading to their death as a result of chemotherapeutic and/or radiation-induced stress. Many malignant cells, however, have developed ways to subvert apoptosis, a characteristic that constitutes a major clinical problem. Gilmore et al. recently described the ability of ZD1839, a small-molecule inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), to induce apoptosis of mammary cells that are dependent upon growth factors for survival. Furthermore, they showed that the major effector of the EGFR-targeted therapy is BAD, a widely expressed BCL-2 family member. These results are promising in light of the role of the EGFR in breast cancer development.
Motoyama
Andrea B
AB
Friedrich Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland.
Hynes
Nancy E
NE
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494819:BAD protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D011799:Quinazolines; D051025:bcl-Associated Death Protein; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077156:Gefitinib