title: Therapeutic potential of a peptide targeting BCL-2 cell guardians in cancer.
abstract: A promising approach to cancer therapy is to elicit apoptosis with "BH3 mimetic" drugs, which target proteins of the BCL-2 family. As of yet, however, such drugs can target only certain BCL-2 family proteins. Hence, in this issue of the JCI, LaBelle et al. assess instead the therapeutic potential of a "stapled" BH3 peptide from the BIM protein, which inactivates all its prosurvival relatives. The peptide killed cultured hematologic tumor cells and abated growth of a leukemia xenograft, without perturbing the hematopoietic compartment. Hence, such peptides might eventually provide a new way to treat refractory leukemias.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Molecular Genetics of Cancer Division, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. adams@wehi.edu.au
authors.forename: Jerry M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C000606775:BCL2L11 protein, human; D000072224:Bcl-2-Like Protein 11; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins