TRAIL-induced apoptosis: between tumor therapy and immunopathology.
The death ligand members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family are potent inducers of apoptosis in a variety of cell types. In particular, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has recently received much scientific and commercial attention because of its potent tumor cell-killing activity while leaving normal untransformed cells mostly unaffected. Furthermore, TRAIL strongly synergizes with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs in inducing tumor cell apoptosis, making it a most promising candidate for future cancer therapy. Increasing evidence indicates, however, that TRAIL may also induce or modulate apoptosis in primary cells. A particular concern is the potential side effect of TRAIL-based tumor therapies in the liver. In this review we summarize some of the recent findings on the role of TRAIL in tumor cell and hepatocyte apoptosis.
Corazza
Nadia
N
Division of Immunopathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. nadia.corazza@pathology.unibe.ch
Kassahn
Daniela
D
Jakob
Sabine
S
Badmann
Anastasia
A
Brunner
Thomas
T
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand