title: The role of the apoptotic machinery in tumor suppression.
abstract: Multicellular organisms have evolved processes to prevent abnormal proliferation or inappropriate tissue infiltration of cells, and these tumor suppressive mechanisms serve to prevent tissue hyperplasia, tumor development, and metastatic spread of tumors. These include potentially reversible processes such as cell cycle arrest and cellular senescence, as well as apoptotic cell death, which in contrast eliminates dangerous cells that may initiate tumor development. Tumor suppressive processes are organized as complex, extensive signaling networks, controlled by central "nodes." These "nodes" are prominent tumor suppressors, such as P53 or PTEN, whose loss is responsible for the development of the majority of human cancers. In this review we discuss the processes by which some of these prominent tumor suppressors trigger apoptotic cell death and how this process protects us from cancer development.
authors.affiliation: The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex R D
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Delbridge
authors.forename: Liz J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strasser
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000074749:Deubiquitinating Enzyme CYLD; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism; D054594:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 12 / Q000378:metabolism; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; C516738:PTPN12 protein, human; D054594:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 12; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; C409984:CYLD protein, human; D000074749:Deubiquitinating Enzyme CYLD