Abstract
Cell death plays an important role in cancer growth and progression, as well as in the efficiency of chemotherapy. Although apoptosis is commonly regarded as the principal mechanism of programmed cell death, it has been increasingly reported that several anticancer agents do not only induce apoptosis but other forms of cell death such as necrosis, autophagy and mitotic catastrophe, as well as the state of permanent loss of proliferative capacity known as senescence. A deeper understanding of what we know about chemotherapyinduced death is rather relevant considering the emerging knowledge of non-apoptotic cell death signaling pathways, and the fact that many tumors have the apoptosis pathway seriously compromised. In this review we examine the effects that various anti-cancer agents have on pathways involved in the different cell death outcomes. Novel and specific anti-cancer agents directed toward members of the cell death signaling pathways are being developed and currently being tested in clinical trials. If we precisely activate or inhibit molecules that mediate the diversity of cell death outcomes, we might succeed in more effective and less toxic chemotherapy.
Keywords: Apoptosis, Autophagy, Chemotherapy, Mitotic catastrophe, Necrosis, Senescence, Cell death, Bax and Bak oligomerization, mitochondrial membrane potential, gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Related Journals
Related eBooks
Related Articles
-
Dendrimer-Curcumin Conjugate: A Water Soluble and Effective Cytotoxic Agent Against Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Upshot of PI3K Inhibitors as Anticancer Arsenal: A Short Review
Current Bioactive Compounds Editorial [Hot Topic: Natural Compounds as Cancer Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic Agents: Insights Gained from Mechanistic and Pharmacologic Studies]
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Cordycepin Suppresses Integrin/FAK Signaling and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Preclinical Bases of the Rational Combination of Paclitaxel and Antiangiogenic Drugs
Clinical Cancer Drugs Multiple Myeloma and the Immune Microenvironment
Current Cancer Drug Targets Editorial: Biodegradable Drug Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy
Current Drug Delivery Hereditary Breast Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa
Current Women`s Health Reviews Cytoprotection and Immunomodulation in Cancer Therapy
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents Novel Strategies for Effective Actinic Keratosis Treatment: A Review
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Mucin-based Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design Targeting the Nuclear Transport Machinery by Rational Drug Design
Current Pharmaceutical Design Patent Selections
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Heparin, Heparan Sulfate and Heparanase in Cancer: Remedy for Metastasis?
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Novel Approaches for Targeted Cancer Therapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Azidothymidine is Effective Against Human Multiple Myeloma: A New Use for an Old Drug?
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry High-throughput Strategy Accelerates the Progress of Marine Anticancer Peptide Drug Development
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Hypoxia in Du-145 Prostate Cancer Xenografts After Estramustine Phosphate and Radiotherapy
Current Radiopharmaceuticals Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors of Programmed Cell Death (PD)-1, and its Ligand, PD-L1 in Cancer Immunotherapy: A Review Update of Patent Literature
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Synthesis of Arylpiperazine Derivatives as Protease Activated Receptor 1 Antagonists and Their Evaluation as Antiproliferative Agents
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry