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Molecular Cell Biology of Apoptosis and Necroptosis in Cancer

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Apoptosis in Cancer Pathogenesis and Anti-cancer Therapy

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 930))

Abstract

Cell death is a major mechanism to eliminate cells in which DNA is damaged, organelles are stressed, or oncogenes are overexpressed, all events that would otherwise predispose cells to oncogenic transformation. The pathways that initiate and execute cell death are complex, genetically encoded, and subject to significant regulation. Consequently, while these pathways are often mutated in malignancy, there is considerable interest in inducing cell death in tumor cells as therapy. This chapter addresses our current understanding of molecular mechanisms contributing to two cell death pathways, apoptotic cell death and necroptosis, a regulated form of necrotic cell death. Apoptosis can be induced by a wide variety of signals, leading to protease activation that dismantles the cell. We discuss the physiological importance of each apoptosis pathway and summarize their known roles in cancer suppression and the current efforts at targeting each pathway therapeutically. The intricate mechanistic link between death receptor-mediated apoptosis and necroptosis is described, as well as the potential opportunities for utilizing necroptosis in the treatment of malignancy.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Heather Dillon and Katherine Baran for their critical reading of this manuscript.

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  1. Department of Immunology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA

    Christopher P. Dillon & Douglas R. Green

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  1. Christopher P. Dillon
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  2. Douglas R. Green
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Correspondence to Christopher P. Dillon or Douglas R. Green .

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  1. MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

    Christopher D. Gregory

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Dillon, C.P., Green, D.R. (2016). Molecular Cell Biology of Apoptosis and Necroptosis in Cancer. In: Gregory, C. (eds) Apoptosis in Cancer Pathogenesis and Anti-cancer Therapy. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 930. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39406-0_1

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