Apoptosis regulators as targets for cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Oncology

Background:

• Apoptosis is essential for removing damaged or excess cells, and its dysregulation is implicated in pathological conditions like cancer.
• Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing apoptosis.
• Proteins of the Bcl-2 family play a critical role in determining cell fate by regulating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the molecular mechanisms controlling apoptosis.
• To focus on therapeutic strategies targeting apoptosis regulators for cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on apoptosis molecular mechanisms.
• Analysis of interactions between Bcl-2 family proteins, BH3-only proteins, Bax, Bak, caspases, and inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins.
• Examination of the caspase cascade activation via cell death receptors.

Main Results:

• The Bcl-2 family proteins mediate the transmission of death signals, leading to mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and the release of apoptogenic factors.
• Activation of cell-death-promoting caspases is triggered by released factors and is tightly regulated by IAP family members.
• Apoptotic pathways, including those involving cell death receptors and caspase cascades, are crucial in both normal and tumor cells.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the regulators of apoptosis provides a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies.
• Therapeutic strategies aim to either promote tumor cell death or enhance tumor cell susceptibility to apoptosis-inducing agents.
• Targeting apoptotic pathways offers a promising avenue for cancer treatment.