DMMC Course CANCER BIOLOGY TO CANCER MEDICINE

0900-0950 Friday 26 May 2006.
Durkan Lecture Theatre, Institute of Molecular Medicine, TCD, St James's Hospital

Cancer drug development:
Apoptosis as a therapeutic target for early clinical trials
Dr Dean Fennell (Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology, Queens University Belfast)

The clinical effectiveness of conventional cytotoxic therapies for cancer is limited by an inefficiency in achieving cancer cell kill. Resistance to cell death is a common problem often underlying lethality. Programmed cell death or apoptosis is a final biochemical pathway engaged by anticancer therapy. In recent years, the molecular physiology of this critical process has been elucidated, and the role of anti-apoptosis proteins in mediating resistance to anticancer therapy identified. The aim of this session will be to highlight potentially critical proteins that block apoptosis in the cancer cell, and discuss new emerging strategies for their antagonism. This rapidly advancing field is beginning to be translated into clinical trials, and the emergence of new classes of anticancer agent will be discussed.

Resources

Reference: Oltersdorf, T., et al. (2005). An inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins induces regression of solid tumours. Nature 435, 677-681 PubMed Entry

Reference: Li, L., et al. (2004). A small molecule Smac mimic potentiates TRAIL- and TNFalpha-mediated cell death. Science 305, 1471-1474. PubMed Entry