Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Reprogramming Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Pluripotency
07:08

Reprogramming Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Pluripotency

Published on: February 2, 2024

Apoptosis pathways and their therapeutic exploitation in pancreatic cancer

Simone Fulda1

  • 1University Children's Hospital, Eythstr., Ulm, Germany. simone.fulda@uniklinik-ulm.de

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
|April 23, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pancreatic cancer cells resist apoptosis (programmed cell death), hindering treatment. Understanding and targeting these apoptosis pathways offers a promising strategy for improving pancreatic cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Death Research

Background:

  • Resistance to apoptosis is a hallmark of human cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer, a leading cause of cancer mortality.
  • Defects in programmed cell death pathways contribute to cancer development and can lead to therapeutic resistance.
  • Intact apoptosis signaling is crucial for the effectiveness of many cancer treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the molecular defects in apoptosis pathways identified in pancreatic cancer.
  • To discuss strategies for exploiting apoptosis pathways for improved pancreatic cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on apoptosis in pancreatic carcinoma.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis resistance in pancreatic cancer.
  • Synthesis of findings to identify therapeutic targets.

Main Results:

  • Over the past decade, numerous molecular defects in apoptosis pathways have been identified in pancreatic cancer.
  • These defects contribute to tumor progression and treatment failure.
  • Specific pathways offer potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting apoptosis pathways represents a viable strategy to overcome treatment resistance in pancreatic cancer.
  • Further research into these pathways could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for this deadly disease.

More Related Videos

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen19:44

Enhancement of Apoptotic and Autophagic Induction by a Novel Synthetic C-1 Analogue of 7-deoxypancratistatin in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma and Neuroblastoma Cells with Tamoxifen

Published on: May 30, 2012

Related Concept Videos

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
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...
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
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...