Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 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

7.8K

Inhibitors of apoptosis: clinical implications in cancer

Mervat S Mohamed1,2,3, Mai K Bishr4, Fahad M Almutairi5

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mervat@ut.edu.sa.

Apoptosis : an International Journal on Programmed Cell Death
|October 26, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins promote cancer by blocking cell death. Targeting these proteins shows promise for overcoming cancer treatment resistance and improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins are key regulators of programmed cell death (apoptosis).
  • Overexpression of IAPs is linked to cancer development and resistance to conventional therapies.
  • IAPs are crucial for cancer cells to evade apoptosis, a hallmark of cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the structural and functional characteristics of IAP proteins.
  • To elucidate the anti-apoptotic mechanisms employed by IAPs.
  • To update on IAP expression in tumors and their role in treatment response and prognosis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of IAP protein structure, function, and expression.
  • Analysis of IAP roles in various malignancies.
  • Summary of current and emerging therapeutic strategies targeting IAPs.

Main Results:

  • IAPs inhibit caspase activity, preventing apoptosis and promoting cancer cell survival.
  • Elevated IAP levels correlate with resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, and poorer prognosis.
  • Investigational drugs targeting IAPs demonstrate promising pre-clinical anti-cancer activity.

Conclusions:

  • IAPs are significant therapeutic targets in oncology due to their role in cancer progression and treatment resistance.
  • Targeting IAPs offers a promising strategy to enhance cancer treatment efficacy.
  • Further development of clinically applicable IAP-targeting drugs is warranted.
Keywords:
ApoptosisCancer target therapyCaspasesInhibitor of apoptosisSmac mimetics

More Related Videos

Identifying PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors with Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology07:04

Identifying PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors with Surface Plasmon Resonance Technology

Published on: May 2, 2025

1.2K
Development of Inhibitors of Protein-protein Interactions through REPLACE: Application to the Design and Development Non-ATP Competitive CDK Inhibitors10:33

Development of Inhibitors of Protein-protein Interactions through REPLACE: Application to the Design and Development Non-ATP Competitive CDK Inhibitors

Published on: October 26, 2015

11.9K

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...
8.8K
Inhibition of Cdk Activity02:34

Inhibition of Cdk Activity

The orderly progression of the cell cycle depends on the activation of Cdk protein by binding to its cyclin partner. However, the cell cycle must be restricted when undergoing abnormal changes. Most cancers correlate to the deregulated cell cycle, and since Cdks are a central component of the cell cycle, Cdk inhibitors are extensively studied to develop anticancer agents. For instance, cyclin D associates with several Cdks, such as Cdk 4/6, to form an active complex. The cyclin D-Cdk4/6 complex...
6.1K
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...
8.9K
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...
9.0K
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes01:05

Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
9.9K
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
8.2K