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Re-inforcing the cell death army in the fight against breast cancer

Oudenaarden, Clara R.L. LU ; van de Ven, Robert A.H. and Derksen, Patrick W.B. (2018) In Journal of Cell Science 131(16).
Abstract

Metastatic breast cancer is responsible for most breast cancer-related deaths. Disseminated cancer cells have developed an intrinsic ability to resist anchorage-dependent apoptosis (anoikis). Anoikis is caused by the absence of cellular adhesion, a process that underpins lumen formation and maintenance during mammary gland development and homeostasis. In healthy cells, anoikis is mostly governed by B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) protein family members. Metastatic cancer cells, however, have often developed autocrine BCL2-dependent resistance mechanisms to counteract anoikis. In this Review, we discuss how a pro-apoptotic subgroup of the BCL2 protein family, known as the BH3-only proteins, controls apoptosis and anoikis during mammary gland... (More)

Metastatic breast cancer is responsible for most breast cancer-related deaths. Disseminated cancer cells have developed an intrinsic ability to resist anchorage-dependent apoptosis (anoikis). Anoikis is caused by the absence of cellular adhesion, a process that underpins lumen formation and maintenance during mammary gland development and homeostasis. In healthy cells, anoikis is mostly governed by B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) protein family members. Metastatic cancer cells, however, have often developed autocrine BCL2-dependent resistance mechanisms to counteract anoikis. In this Review, we discuss how a pro-apoptotic subgroup of the BCL2 protein family, known as the BH3-only proteins, controls apoptosis and anoikis during mammary gland homeostasis and to what extent their inhibition confers tumor suppressive functions in metastatic breast cancer. Specifically, the role of the two pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins BCL2-modifying factor (BMF) and BCL2-interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) will be discussed here. We assess current developments in treatment that focus on mimicking the function of the BH3-only proteins to induce apoptosis, and consider their applicability to restore normal apoptotic responses in anchorageindependent disseminating tumor cells.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Breast cancer, Intrinsic apoptosis, Metastasis
in
Journal of Cell Science
volume
131
issue
16
article number
jcs.212563
publisher
The Company of Biologists Ltd
external identifiers
  • pmid:30139926
  • scopus:85052129485
ISSN
0021-9533
DOI
10.1242/jcs.212563
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fde14b0c-67cc-4d59-a182-1d879417ba64
date added to LUP
2018-10-19 15:09:12
date last changed
2024-03-02 09:07:49
@article{fde14b0c-67cc-4d59-a182-1d879417ba64,
  abstract     = {{<p>Metastatic breast cancer is responsible for most breast cancer-related deaths. Disseminated cancer cells have developed an intrinsic ability to resist anchorage-dependent apoptosis (anoikis). Anoikis is caused by the absence of cellular adhesion, a process that underpins lumen formation and maintenance during mammary gland development and homeostasis. In healthy cells, anoikis is mostly governed by B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) protein family members. Metastatic cancer cells, however, have often developed autocrine BCL2-dependent resistance mechanisms to counteract anoikis. In this Review, we discuss how a pro-apoptotic subgroup of the BCL2 protein family, known as the BH3-only proteins, controls apoptosis and anoikis during mammary gland homeostasis and to what extent their inhibition confers tumor suppressive functions in metastatic breast cancer. Specifically, the role of the two pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins BCL2-modifying factor (BMF) and BCL2-interacting mediator of cell death (BIM) will be discussed here. We assess current developments in treatment that focus on mimicking the function of the BH3-only proteins to induce apoptosis, and consider their applicability to restore normal apoptotic responses in anchorageindependent disseminating tumor cells.</p>}},
  author       = {{Oudenaarden, Clara R.L. and van de Ven, Robert A.H. and Derksen, Patrick W.B.}},
  issn         = {{0021-9533}},
  keywords     = {{Breast cancer; Intrinsic apoptosis; Metastasis}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{16}},
  publisher    = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
  series       = {{Journal of Cell Science}},
  title        = {{Re-inforcing the cell death army in the fight against breast cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jcs.212563}},
  doi          = {{10.1242/jcs.212563}},
  volume       = {{131}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}