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Apoptosis: its role in the development of malignancies and its potential as a novel therapeutic target

S C Dixon1, B J Soriano, R M Lush

  • 1Clinical Pharmacokinetics Section, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

The Annals of Pharmacotherapy
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is crucial for eliminating abnormal cells and maintaining health. Manipulating apoptosis offers a promising new strategy for developing targeted cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a fundamental biological process essential for organismal survival.
  • It plays a critical role in development, differentiation, homeostasis, and eliminating damaged or abnormal cells.
  • Dysregulation of apoptosis contributes to diseases like cancer, characterized by an imbalance in cell proliferation and death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the literature on the role of apoptosis in cancer development.
  • To explore the potential of inducing apoptosis as a cancer therapy strategy.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive MEDLINE search was conducted.
  • Included articles focused on key cellular processes and genetic control of apoptosis.
  • Literature review of basic science articles was performed.

Main Results:

  • Apoptosis is vital for discarding unwanted, damaged, and atypical cells, regulating development, differentiation, and homeostasis.
  • Cancer involves an imbalance between cell division and elimination.
  • Targeting apoptosis can influence neoplastic cell accumulation, offering a novel therapeutic approach.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis is a highly organized physiological mechanism for cell destruction and homeostasis.
  • Both activation and inhibition of apoptosis are tightly regulated processes.
  • Pharmacological manipulation of apoptosis represents a novel therapeutic target in oncology.

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