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Targeting endocytosis to sensitize cancer cells to programmed cell death

Emily T Chan1, Cömert Kural1,2

  • 1Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, U.S.A.

Biochemical Society Transactions
|August 2, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Cancer cells evade programmed cell death (PCD) by manipulating endocytosis. Targeting endocytosis can restore cancer cell susceptibility to PCD, offering a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome treatment resistance and enhance cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Cancer Biology
  • Cellular Mechanisms
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Cancer cells evade programmed cell death (PCD), a key mechanism for tumor survival and proliferation.
  • Endocytosis, the cellular process of material internalization, plays a critical role in regulating cell death pathways within cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the multifaceted roles of endocytosis in cancer cell resistance to apoptosis and immune evasion.
  • To explore therapeutic strategies targeting endocytosis to enhance cancer treatment efficacy by restoring PCD susceptibility.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on endocytosis regulation in cancer.
  • Analysis of mechanisms by which endocytosis contributes to apoptotic resistance and immune escape.
  • Discussion of therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating endocytic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Dysregulated endocytic dynamics in tumors support metabolic demands, promote therapy resistance, and facilitate immune evasion.
  • Inhibition of endocytosis can sensitize cancer cells to cytotoxic agents and re-sensitize them to PCD.
  • Targeting endocytic regulatory proteins, membrane properties, and Rho-associated kinases are potential therapeutic avenues.

Conclusions:

  • Modulating endocytic pathways presents a promising strategy to overcome apoptotic resistance in cancer.
  • Harnessing endocytosis offers a potential route to develop more effective anticancer therapies by inducing tumor cell death.
  • Further research into the interplay between endocytosis and PCD is crucial for novel anticancer drug development.
Keywords:
cancercell deathendocytosisimmune evasionmembrane mechanics

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