Apoptosis - A new target for cancer therapy

Abstract

Apoptosis or physiology cell death has generated great interest in recent years particularly in the field cancer. Many human cancers are associated with changes in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis. Genetic mutations that prevent cell death cause cells to accumulate and can eventually lead to malignancy. Most chemotherapeutic drugs work by inducing apoptosis death in the target tumour cells. Many of the genes in involved in the regulation of the apoptotic pathway have been identified. This has allowed the exploration of therapeutic strategies which attempt to increase the propensity of malignant cells to die by apoptosis and to mitigate side effects by reducing apoptosis in non-malignant cells.