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Published on: January 11, 2019

Programmed cell death pathways and current antitumor targets

Mei Lan Tan1, Jer Ping Ooi, Nawfal Ismail

  • 1Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Lot 1-8, Persiaran Seksyen 4/1, Bandar Putra Bertam, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. tanml@usm.my

Pharmaceutical Research
|May 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Targeting programmed cell death pathways like apoptosis and autophagy offers new cancer treatment strategies. This review details recent antitumor drugs and clinical trial outcomes for these essential cellular processes.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular Biology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Medicine

Background:

  • Programmed cell death, including apoptosis and autophagy, is crucial for normal cellular functions and preventing cancer.
  • Understanding the molecular pathways of apoptosis and autophagy has advanced cancer pathogenesis research.
  • Aberrant signaling in these pathways is a hallmark of many cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the latest antitumor strategies targeting apoptosis and autophagy signaling pathways.
  • To discuss recent clinical trial outcomes for drugs modulating these cell death processes.
  • To highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting apoptosis and autophagy in cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent publications on apoptosis and autophagy signaling.
  • Analysis of clinical trial data for drugs targeting TRAIL, Bcl-2, proteasome, and mTOR pathways.
  • Synthesis of information on emerging therapeutic strategies involving pro-autophagics and autophagy inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • Several drugs targeting apoptotic pathways (TRAIL, Bcl-2, proteasome) are in late-stage clinical trials.
  • The mTOR inhibitor temsirolimus is FDA-approved for renal cell carcinoma, with more inhibitors anticipated.
  • Therapeutic strategies modulating autophagy are under active investigation for various cancers.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting apoptosis and autophagy represents a promising frontier in cancer therapy.
  • Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating the efficacy of novel drugs modulating these pathways.
  • Further research into apoptosis and autophagy modulation holds significant potential for future cancer treatments.

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