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How can anti cancer therapeutics be successful in treating cancer cells that have inactivated components of their apoptotic machinery? 

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We propose that tumor therapy should not only kill malignant cells but also target the interaction of the host with apoptotic cancer cells, as this might be efficient to limit the protumor action of apoptotic cells and boost the antitumor potential of macrophages.
Open accessJournal ArticleDOI
04 Oct 2010-Future Oncology
108 Citations
Several specific and potent inhibitors of PIM1’s kinase activity have also been shown to induce apoptotic death of cancer cells, to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapy and to synergize with other anti-tumor agents, thus making it an attractive therapeutic target.
Restoring the apoptotic potential of cancer cells upon modulating the expression and activity of certain key components of the cell death machinery is an attractive and obvious therapeutic anti-cancer strategy.
Apoptotic resistance of tumor cells allows them to escape death from cancer chemotherapy, so an understanding of malignant anti‐apoptotic activities is important.
Proliferation of cancer cells is not unconnected to deficiency in their apoptotic process such as loss of caspase activity, p53 gene mutation and imbalanced regulation of Bcl2 proteins which leads to inactivation or reduction in cancer cell apoptosis, hence, agents that are capable of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells are potential sources of effective anticancer drug.
Although the induction of apoptotic cell death is a desirable outcome in cancer therapy, mutations and/or deficiencies in the apoptotic signaling pathways have been frequently identified in many human cancer types, suggesting the importance of alternative apoptosis-independent therapeutic approaches for cancer treatment.
Thus, apoptotic pathways might be significantly altered in cancer cells relative to untransformed cells, and these differences might present a therapeutic window that can be exploited for development of cancer drugs.
Induction of apoptosis in cancer cells can be a promising treatment method in cancer therapy.
A combination of chemotherapy with modifications that lower the apoptotic threshold of cancer cells could be effective.
Open accessJournal ArticleDOI
Simone Fulda, Klaus-Michael Debatin 
07 Aug 2006-Oncogene
2.1K Citations
Understanding the molecular events that regulate apoptosis in response to anticancer chemotherapy, and how cancer cells evade apoptotic death, provides novel opportunities for a more rational approach to develop molecular-targeted therapies for combating cancer.

Related Questions

How does the induction of apoptosis play a role in future cancer treatments?5 answersThe induction of apoptosis plays a crucial role in future cancer treatments. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a mechanism that eliminates abnormal or damaged cells, including cancer cells. It is a target for developing novel anticancer drugs. Current research focuses on identifying targets upstream and downstream of apoptosis-related proteins and understanding the regulation of apoptosis pathways. Alterations in apoptosis pathways contribute to resistance to conventional anticancer therapies, so successful induction of apoptosis using novel therapeutics is important for preventing recurrence and metastasis. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that regulate gene transcription and their overexpression is found in some tumors. HDAC inhibitors induce apoptosis by acetylating non-histone proteins, such as Ku70, which plays a role in repairing DNA breaks and stabilizing anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins. Overall, understanding and targeting apoptosis pathways can lead to the development of effective cancer treatments.
What are the mechanisms of cancer apoptosis?5 answersApoptosis, or regulated cell death, is a critical process in cancer treatment. It involves several pathways, including the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, which converge at the executioner caspases. The Bcl-2 gene family plays a crucial role in regulating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, controlling signals for cell survival and death. Anti-cancer therapies often target the apoptotic signaling pathways to trigger cancer cell death and prevent chemoresistance. BH3-mimetic drugs, which mimic the function of pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins, have been developed to induce apoptosis in cancer cells by inhibiting apoptosis inhibitory proteins. Dysregulation of apoptosis is a key hallmark of cancer, and understanding the apoptotic signaling pathways is important for developing effective anti-cancer therapeutics. Pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax and Bcl-2 family proteins, act as regulators in cell division and growth and are potential targets for developing therapeutics. Inactivation of apoptosis is a dysregulatory process in many cancer types, and research is focused on developing apoptosis-targeted therapeutics.
What is the relationship between apoptosis and breast cancer treatment?4 answersApoptosis and autophagy are two distinct cellular processes that play a role in breast cancer treatment. Apoptosis is a regulated process of cell death, and defects in apoptosis can contribute to tumorigenesis and cancer cell survival. Autophagy, on the other hand, is a process that helps maintain tissue homeostasis and cell fitness by removing damaged organelles and molecules. In breast cancer, autophagy can promote tumor formation and help cancer cells survive. Recent studies suggest that modulating autophagy in combination with inducing apoptosis may be a promising strategy for breast cancer treatment. Inhibiting autophagy and promoting apoptosis can negatively impact cancer cell survival and increase cell death. Therefore, the combination of antiautophagic agents with apoptosis enhancement may provide a therapeutic advantage against breast cancer.
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Are there any anti-cancer drugs derived from traditional medicine?5 answersYes, there are anti-cancer drugs derived from traditional medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been found to have anti-cancer effects. TCM contains various biologically active compounds that have shown efficacy against lung cancer, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, and polyphenols. These compounds have been found to suppress tumor cell cycle, inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, promote autophagy, inhibit tumor cell invasion and metastasis, and enhance efficacy when combined with other treatments. TCM has also been found to regulate DNA methylation modification, which plays a role in tumor development, making it a potentially reliable epigenetic drug. The anti-cancer traditional Chinese medicine compositions mentioned in the abstracts have shown good treatment effects for cancers and have been stable in their curative effects.
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