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Cell Death pp 61–96Cite as

Bcl-2 Family and Their Therapeutic Potential

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Abstract

Bcl-2 family proteins play a pivotal role in regulating programmed cell death that is essential for cell homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Tumors develop when cells bypass regulated cell death and grow faster than they die, while in degenerative diseases there is too much cell death. Thus understanding how Bcl-2 proteins modulate cell survival will provide novel important insight into therapeutic targets, as evidenced by recent successes specifically targeting and killing cancer cells. Here we describe the current models for regulation of apoptosis by Bcl-2 family proteins with a specific emphasis on the predicted therapeutic targets. Limited success of current efforts in targeting Bcl-2 family proteins including antisense oligonucleotides and small-molecule inhibitors suggests that emerging techniques and strategies will be required to identify a new generation of drugs targeting Bcl-2 family proteins. We review some of the more promising therapeutic opportunities for treating diseases that have been revealed by our current mechanistic understanding of these proteins.

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Acknowledgements

Work from our laboratory cited in this review was supported by grant FRN12517 from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) to D.W.A. and B.L. and by a Tier I Canada Research Chair in Membrane Biogenesis to D.W.A. Q.L. is recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Ontario Division.

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  1. Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, 2075 Bayview Avenue, M7-640, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4N 3M5

    Qian Liu Ph.D., Xiaoke Chi B.S. & David W. Andrews Ph.D.

  2. Department of Medicine, Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, McMaster University, 711 Concession Street, Room A3-67, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8V 1C3

    Brian Leber M.D.

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    Hao Wu

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Liu, Q., Chi, X., Leber, B., Andrews, D.W. (2014). Bcl-2 Family and Their Therapeutic Potential. In: Wu, H. (eds) Cell Death. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9302-0_4

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