Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Establishing Cell Lines Overexpressing DR3 to Assess the Apoptotic Response to Anti-mitotic Therapeutics
12:28

Establishing Cell Lines Overexpressing DR3 to Assess the Apoptotic Response to Anti-mitotic Therapeutics

Published on: January 11, 2019

[Molecules involved in apoptosis regulation as therapeutic targets in oncology]

Stéphanie Lheureux1, Sylvestre Le Moulec

  • 1CLCC François-Baclesse, service d'oncologie médicale, Caen, France.

Bulletin Du Cancer
|June 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is crucial for eliminating stressed cells and preventing cancer. Targeting apoptosis pathways offers promising new cancer therapies by reactivating this cell death mechanism in tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Context:

  • Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a rapid, genetically controlled process essential for cellular homeostasis.
  • Dysregulation of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer, contributing to tumor development and progression.
  • Current cancer treatments aim to eliminate transformed cells, but understanding apoptosis mechanisms is key to novel therapeutic strategies.

Purpose:

  • To elucidate the intricate mechanisms of apoptosis, including the intrinsic (mitochondrial) and extrinsic (death receptor) pathways.
  • To review the therapeutic potential of targeting apoptosis in cancer treatment.
  • To discuss emerging small molecule inhibitors and their clinical investigation.

Summary:

  • Apoptosis involves coordinated intracellular events leading to cell elimination via phagocytosis.
  • Two primary pathways regulate apoptosis: the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway and the extrinsic death receptor pathway.
  • Inactivation of apoptosis is implicated in carcinogenesis, making its reactivation a viable therapeutic approach.

Impact:

  • Targeting apoptosis, which is often deficient in cancer cells, presents a promising strategy for novel cancer therapies.
  • Small molecules targeting Bcl-2, IAPs, and TRAIL receptors are in early clinical trials, showing preliminary efficacy and safety.
  • Combining these novel agents with standard treatments may yield synergistic anti-tumor effects, enhancing cell death induction.

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...
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...
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.
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...