Abstract
The ability to evade apoptosis is one of the defining hallmarks of cancer. It enables the survival of cancer cells under abnormal growth stimulation and mediates their increased resistance to treatment with cytotoxic drugs and radiation. Therefore, antiapoptotic proteins that counteract apoptosis signaling represent promising new therapeutic targets to impair cancer cell growth and enhance treatment response. As soon as RNA interference (RNAi) was demonstrated in mammalian cells, it rapidly became an essential tool for gene knockdown in preclinical models, making it possible to define the role of specific genes in the onset and progression of cancer and explore their potential as therapeutic targets. The present review summarizes the findings from studies relying on the use of RNAi-based approaches to functionally validate two members of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein family, survivin and Apollon/BRUCE, as new cancer therapeutic targets. Results collected thus far indicate that targeting the survivin network efficiently inhibits tumor growth potential and increases spontaneous and treatment-induced apoptosis of cancer cells. Based on these findings, the applicability of survivin-directed strategies for the clinical treatment of human tumors is currently under investigation. As regards Apollon/ BRUCE, although very preliminary, results of RNAi-mediated gene knockdown point to the possibility to significantly impair tumor cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis.
Keywords: Apollon/BRUCE, apoptosis, chemosensitivity, human tumors, inhibitors of apoptosis proteins, radiosensitivity, survivin, cancer cells, therapeutic targets, clinical treatment of human tumors, mammalian cells, C-terminal Bid fragment (tBID), proapoptotic protein, controlled signaling pathways, inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), human leukocyte
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: RNA Interference-Mediated Validation of Survivin and Apollon/BRUCE as New Therapeutic Targets for Cancer Therapy
Volume: 12 Issue: 2
Author(s): Marzia Pennati, Enrico Millo, Paolo Gandellini, Marco Folini and Nadia Zaffaroni
Affiliation:
Keywords: Apollon/BRUCE, apoptosis, chemosensitivity, human tumors, inhibitors of apoptosis proteins, radiosensitivity, survivin, cancer cells, therapeutic targets, clinical treatment of human tumors, mammalian cells, C-terminal Bid fragment (tBID), proapoptotic protein, controlled signaling pathways, inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs), human leukocyte
Abstract: The ability to evade apoptosis is one of the defining hallmarks of cancer. It enables the survival of cancer cells under abnormal growth stimulation and mediates their increased resistance to treatment with cytotoxic drugs and radiation. Therefore, antiapoptotic proteins that counteract apoptosis signaling represent promising new therapeutic targets to impair cancer cell growth and enhance treatment response. As soon as RNA interference (RNAi) was demonstrated in mammalian cells, it rapidly became an essential tool for gene knockdown in preclinical models, making it possible to define the role of specific genes in the onset and progression of cancer and explore their potential as therapeutic targets. The present review summarizes the findings from studies relying on the use of RNAi-based approaches to functionally validate two members of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein family, survivin and Apollon/BRUCE, as new cancer therapeutic targets. Results collected thus far indicate that targeting the survivin network efficiently inhibits tumor growth potential and increases spontaneous and treatment-induced apoptosis of cancer cells. Based on these findings, the applicability of survivin-directed strategies for the clinical treatment of human tumors is currently under investigation. As regards Apollon/ BRUCE, although very preliminary, results of RNAi-mediated gene knockdown point to the possibility to significantly impair tumor cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Pennati Marzia, Millo Enrico, Gandellini Paolo, Folini Marco and Zaffaroni Nadia, RNA Interference-Mediated Validation of Survivin and Apollon/BRUCE as New Therapeutic Targets for Cancer Therapy, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2012; 12 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802612798919169
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802612798919169 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Approaching Neurological Diseases to Reduce Mobility Limitations in Older Persons
Current Pharmaceutical Design Amygdalin Decreases Adhesion and Migration of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Current Molecular Pharmacology Structure and Expression of Different Serum Amyloid A (SAA) Variants and their Concentration-Dependent Functions During Host Insults
Current Medicinal Chemistry Current Status and Future Prospects of Small–molecule Protein–protein Interaction (PPI) Inhibitors of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand (RANKL)
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Diverse Mechanisms of AKT Pathway Activation in Human Malignancy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Biotransformation of Silybin and its Congeners
Current Drug Metabolism Dual Time F-18 FDG PET/CT Imaging in the Diagnosis of Renal Cell Cancer
Current Medical Imaging Therapeutic Potential of Targeting PAK Signaling
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Role of PET/CT and SPECT/CT in Oncology Drug Development
Current Molecular Imaging (Discontinued) Potential Role of Rho Kinase Inhibitors in Combating Diabetes-Related Complications Including Diabetic Neuropathy-A Review
Current Diabetes Reviews Folate Based Radiopharmaceuticals for Imaging and Therapy of Cancer and Inflammation
Current Pharmaceutical Design Contemporary Overview on Clinical Trials and Future Prospects of Hepato-protective Herbal Medicines
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor α Ligands as Anticancer Drugs Targeting Mitochondrial Metabolism
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Bioactive Triterpenic Acids: From Agroforestry Biomass Residues to Promising Therapeutic Tools
Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry Current Trends and Future Strategies for the Global Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic
Coronaviruses Targeting Telomerase for Cancer Therapy
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Recent Advances in Characterizing Natural Products that Regulate Autophagy
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Novel Therapeutic Strategies Against Cancer: Marine-derived Drugs May Be the Answer?
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Cruciferous Plants: Phytochemical Toxicity Versus Cancer Chemoprotection
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Free Radical Attack on Cholesterol: Oxysterols as Markers of Oxidative Stress and as Bioactive Molecules
Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (Discontinued)