Dissecting the apoptotic mechanisms of chemotherapeutic drugs and lymphocytes to design effective anticancer therapies

Abstract

It has now been demonstrated that chemotherapeutic drugs and killer cells can activate both common and unique programmed cell death pathways to effectively eliminate tumor cells. Although chemotherapy and radiation treatments are effective methods of reducing tumor burden, minimal residual disease often enables the recurrence and emergence of more resistant and aggressive tumors. Immune cells have evolved over millions of years to discriminate self from nonself and to destroy cells that harbor pathogens. Therefore, enhancing innate immune response in combination with chemotherapy or irradiation may offer improved treatment of many cancers - in particular, hematological malignancies. Better u..