Apoptosis in the treatment of cancer: a promise kept?
A common feature of cancer cells is their ability to evade apoptosis as a result of alterations that block cell death signaling pathways. The extensive research efforts that elucidated these signaling pathways over the past decade have set the stage for the development of therapeutic agents that either kill cancer cells selectively or reset their apoptotic threshold. Over the past two years a number of these agents have been evaluated in preclinical and clinical trials. The results of these studies suggest that it might soon be possible to modulate apoptosis in cancer cells for therapeutic benefit.
Meng
Xue Wei
XW
Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Lee
Sun-Hee
SH
Kaufmann
Scott H
SH
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D020169:Caspases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D053220:Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D051636:X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; D020169:Caspases