title: Potential of apoptotic pathway-targeted cancer therapeutic research: Where do we stand?
abstract: Underneath the intricacy of every cancer lies mysterious events that impel the tumour cell and its posterity into abnormal growth and tissue invasion. Oncogenic mutations disturb the regulatory circuits responsible for the governance of versatile cellular functions, permitting tumour cells to endure deregulated proliferation, resist to proapoptotic insults, invade and erode normal tissues and above all escape apoptosis. This disruption of apoptosis has been highly implicated in various malignancies and has been exploited as an anticancer strategy. Owing to the fact that apoptosis causes minimal inflammation and damage to the tissue, apoptotic cell death-based therapy has been the centre of attraction for the development of anticancer drugs. Increased understanding of the molecular pathways underlying apoptosis has enabled scientists to establish unique approaches targeting apoptosis pathways in cancer therapeutics. In this review, we reconnoitre the two major pathways (intrinsic and extrinsic) targeted cancer therapeutics, steering toward chief modulators of these pathways, such as B-cell lymphoma 2 protein family members (pro- and antiapoptotic), inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, and the foremost thespian of extrinsic pathway regulator, tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing agent. Together, we also will have a look from clinical perspective to address the agents (drugs) and therapeutic strategies adopted to target these specific proteins/pathways that have entered clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tissue Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.|Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tissue Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seevasant
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mohamad
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tissue Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mukheem
authors.affiliation: Clinical Investigation Centre, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.|Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: H Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Huri
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tissue Engineering Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.|Clinical Investigation Centre, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamarul
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D036302:Therapeutic Human Experimentation