Apoptosis in cancer: therapeutic implications

Abstract

This review outlines the principal limitations of the mechanisms of active cell death (ACD, apoptosis) as the basis of tumorigenesis and the rationale of almost all therapies of malignancy. The concentration of cancer therapy in the directon of ACD induction is presented as both the result of progressive understanding of the mechanisms of apoptosis and that of the favourable tumor environment for ACD signal transmission. The latter property induces the by-stander killing of cancer cells, a fundamental mechanism because efficiency of all known methods of cancer treatment is far below 100%. Finally, recent results and hypotheses regarding cancer gene therapy based on final inductors of apoptosis and endogeneous ACD inhibitors in tumors are evaluated.