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Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
Published on: February 16, 2015
Following the TRAIL to apoptosis
Bharti R Chaudhari1, Richard F Murphy, Devendra K Agrawal
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
Immunologic Research
|December 19, 2006
Summary
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers programmed cell death in harmful cells, including cancer. TRAIL analogs show therapeutic potential for asthma and cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is crucial for eliminating damaged cells.
- TRAIL (Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand), a TNF superfamily member, induces apoptosis via death receptors DR-4/DR-5 and extrinsic pathways.
- TRAIL's function is modulated by decoy receptors (DcR-1/DcR-2) and regulators like FADD, IAPs, Bcl-2s, p53, and FLIPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of TRAIL in asthma pathogenesis.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of TRAIL analogs in asthma and cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of TRAIL expression in asthma-related cells (eosinophils, mast cells, fibroblasts, airway epithelial cells).
- Examination of TRAIL's interaction with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) pathways in airway remodeling.
- Review of TRAIL's mechanisms in selective cancer cell apoptosis.
Main Results:
- TRAIL is expressed in cells implicated in asthma and airway remodeling.
- TGF-beta1-induced apoptosis overlaps with TRAIL pathways, potentially hindering epithelial repair.
- TRAIL selectively induces apoptosis in cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- TRAIL plays a role in asthma pathophysiology and airway remodeling.
- TRAIL-based therapies, including analogs, hold promise for treating asthma and cancer due to selective cancer cell killing properties.
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01:17The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
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01:31The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
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