[Apoptosis--new possibilities in the treatment of cancer]

Apoptosis (also called programmed cell death) is an active, regulated form of cell death that differs in a fundamental way from necrosis, the death type occurring in various diseases. Recent insight into apoptosis is changing important concepts in oncology. It has become clear that cancer cells die to a large extent by apoptosis, not necrosis, and that resistance to treatment may arise because of resistance to apoptosis. This leads to new strategies for cancer treatment: the possibility of induction of cell death in tumours, based on the triggering of molecules involved in the signalling of apoptosis, and managing treatment resistance by devising therapy targeted towards anti-apoptotic molecules within the cell. This article presents an overview of the intracellular mechanisms of apoptosis, and explains the possibilities for future therapy. A summary of the studies of treatment carried out to date is also given.