Mcl-1 is a potential therapeutic target in multiple types of cancer.
Resistance to apoptosis is a common challenge in human malignancies contributing to both progress of cancer and resistance to conventional therapeutics. Abnormalities in a variety of cell intrinsic and extrinsic molecular mechanisms cooperatively promote tumor formation. Therapeutic approaches that specifically target components of these molecular mechanisms are getting widespread attention. Mcl-1 is a highly expressed pro-survival protein in human malignancies and its cellular expression is tightly regulated via multiple mechanisms. Mcl-1 differs from other members of the Bcl-2 family in having a very short half-life. So inhibition of its expression and/or neutralization of its anti-apoptotic function will rapidly make Mcl-1-dependent cells more susceptible to apoptosis and provide an opportunity to combat several types of cancers. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the regulation of Mcl-1 expression and discusses the alternative approaches targeting Mcl-1 in human cancer cells whose survivals mainly depend on Mcl-1.
Akgul
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Department of Chemistry, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey. cahitakgul@comu.edu.tr
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2