Abstract
Proteolytic caspase enzymes play a central role in cell apoptosis, or programmed cell death, often as integrating elements of different stimuli leading to the cell death. Since blockade of apoptotic pathways are fundamental for cell survival and proliferation, particularly in cancer cells, the activation of caspases is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. This review describes some of the druggable therapeutic targets thus far identified within the core apoptotic machinery, the corresponding drugs that have been developed, their effects on caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways and their potential impact on the therapy of cancer. With several successful anticancer drugs on the market and numerous compounds in preclinical and clinical developments, modulators of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways belong to the most important category of anticancer agents.
Keywords: Caspase, inhibitors, apoptosis, cancer, drugs
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Caspase Activity Modulators as Anticancer Agents
Volume: 8 Issue: 3
Author(s): Ilya Okun, Konstantin V. Balakin, Sergey E. Tkachenko and Alexandre V. Ivachtchenko
Affiliation:
Keywords: Caspase, inhibitors, apoptosis, cancer, drugs
Abstract: Proteolytic caspase enzymes play a central role in cell apoptosis, or programmed cell death, often as integrating elements of different stimuli leading to the cell death. Since blockade of apoptotic pathways are fundamental for cell survival and proliferation, particularly in cancer cells, the activation of caspases is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. This review describes some of the druggable therapeutic targets thus far identified within the core apoptotic machinery, the corresponding drugs that have been developed, their effects on caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways and their potential impact on the therapy of cancer. With several successful anticancer drugs on the market and numerous compounds in preclinical and clinical developments, modulators of caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways belong to the most important category of anticancer agents.
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Okun Ilya, Balakin V. Konstantin, Tkachenko E. Sergey and Ivachtchenko V. Alexandre, Caspase Activity Modulators as Anticancer Agents, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2008; 8 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152008783961914
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/187152008783961914 |
Print ISSN 1871-5206 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5992 |
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