2. Academic Validation
  3. BCL-2 protein family: attractive targets for cancer therapy

BCL-2 protein family: attractive targets for cancer therapy

  • Apoptosis. 2023 Feb;28(1-2):20-38. doi: 10.1007/s10495-022-01780-7.
Deeksha Kaloni 1 2,  Sarah T Diepstraten 1,  Andreas Strasser 1 2,  Gemma L Kelly 3 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
  • 2 Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
  • 3 Blood Cells and Blood Cancer Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. [email protected].
  • 4 Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. [email protected].
PMID: 36342579 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-022-01780-7
Abstract

Acquired resistance to cell death is a hallmark of Cancer. The Bcl-2 protein family members play important roles in controlling apoptotic cell death. Abnormal over-expression of pro-survival Bcl-2 Family members or abnormal reduction of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 Family proteins, both resulting in the inhibition of Apoptosis, are frequently detected in diverse malignancies. The critical role of the pro-survival and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 Family proteins in the regulation of Apoptosis makes them attractive targets for the development of agents for the treatment of Cancer. This review describes the roles of the various pro-survival and pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 protein family in normal development and organismal function and how defects in the control of Apoptosis promote the development and therapy resistance of Cancer. Finally, we discuss the development of inhibitors of pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins, termed BH3-mimetic drugs, as novel agents for Cancer therapy.

Keywords

Apoptosis; BCL-2 protein family; BH3-mimetic drugs; BH3-only proteins; Pro-apoptotic BCL-2 family members; Pro-survival BCL-2 proteins.

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