Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

A Syngeneic Mouse Model of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma for Quantitative and Longitudinal Assessment of Preclinical Therapies
06:38

A Syngeneic Mouse Model of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma for Quantitative and Longitudinal Assessment of Preclinical Therapies

Published on: April 12, 2017

TRAIL death receptors and cancer therapeutics

Ying Huang1, M Saeed Sheikh

  • 1Department of Pharmacology, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. huangy@upstate.edu

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology
|January 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) shows promise as a cancer therapeutic. TRAIL and its receptor-targeting antibodies are advancing in clinical trials, offering a safer alternative to other TNF family members.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), also known as Apo2L, is a cytokine within the tumor necrosis factor superfamily.
  • TRAIL induces apoptosis through its cognate death receptors, DR4 and DR5.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the therapeutic potential of TRAIL and its associated antibodies in cancer treatment.
  • To highlight the advancements and clinical progress of TRAIL-based therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing clinical trial data for TRAIL and DR4/DR5-specific agonistic antibodies.
  • Comparison of TRAIL's safety and efficacy profile with other related cytokines like TNF-alpha and FasL.

Main Results:

  • TRAIL and agonistic antibodies targeting DR4/DR5 mediate tumor cell killing.
  • TRAIL death receptor expression can be upregulated by clinically relevant agents, enhancing therapeutic cooperation.
  • TRAIL is in Phase I clinical trials; DR4/DR5 antibodies are in Phase I/II studies.

Conclusions:

  • TRAIL-based therapeutic approaches demonstrate a brighter future compared to TNF-alpha and FasL due to a more favorable toxicity profile.
  • TRAIL and its receptor-specific antibodies represent a promising avenue for cancer therapy development.

More Related Videos

Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens09:53

Using X-ray Crystallography, Biophysics, and Functional Assays to Determine the Mechanisms Governing T-cell Receptor Recognition of Cancer Antigens

Published on: February 6, 2017

Related Concept Videos

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
Receptor Tyrosine Kinases01:26

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Receptor tyrosine kinases or RTKs are membrane-bound receptors that phosphorylate specific tyrosine on protein substrates. RTKs regulate cellular growth, differentiation, survival, and migration. They contain an extracellular ligand binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytosolic tail with intrinsic kinase activity. Several extracellular signaling molecules activate RTKs in one or more ways and relay the signal downstream. Ligands such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...