Sublethal engagement of apoptotic pathways in residual cancer

Trends Cell Biol. 2023 Aug 10:S0962-8924(23)00138-1. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2023.07.005. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCytotoxic chemo-, radio-, and targeted therapies frequently elicit apoptotic cancer cell death. Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) is a critical, regulated step in this apoptotic pathway. The residual cancer cells that survive treatment serve as the seeds of eventual relapse and are often functionally characterized by their transient tolerance of multiple therapeutic treatments. New studies suggest that, in these cells, a sublethal degree of MOMP, reflective of incomplete apoptotic commitment, is widely observed. Here, we review recent evidence that this sublethal MOMP drives the aggressive features of residual cancer cells while templating a host of unique vulnerabilities, highlighting how failed apoptosis may counterintuitively enable new therapeutic strategies to target residual disease (RD).PMID:37573235 | DOI:10.1016/j.tcb.2023.07.005
Source: Trends in Cell Biology - Category: Cytology Authors: Source Type: research