Apoptosis and Alternative Modes of Cell Death as Targets for Anticancer Therapy
A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Pathology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 12096
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cancer; intercellular communication; autophagy; intracellular trafficking
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cell death by apoptosis has long been deemed a promising target for anticancer therapy through the targeting of either of its molecular legs, i.e., the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. For decades after its role in cancer biology was demonstrated, there has been a ceaseless search for therapeutic strategies to target this process, whether via the development of death receptor agonists such as recombinant humanized anti-receptor agonistic antibodies, small molecules aimed at specific molecular players, etc.
However, over the years, new challenges have arisen. Targeted therapies which initially showed promise in preclinical data, did not perform as well in clinical trials. Resistance to apoptosis-targeting drugs has often resulted in disease relapse and cancer mortality. These challenges, far from bringing disinterest from apoptosis as a specific and viable anti-cancer avenue, have opened researchers’ eyes to thinking about missing biological clues. Indeed, new opportunities are revealed by basic science research that shed light on connections between the apoptotic mode of cell death and alternative modes and mechanisms of cell demise, including the role of autophagy, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, among others. Focus has extended to new ways for considering apoptosis-based therapies within specific cellular and molecular contexts including autophagy, cancer stem cells, small RNAs, extracellular vesicles, and intercellular communication, to name just a few.
This Special Issue is intended as a showcase of the pertinence of apoptosis and alternative modes of cell death as important targets for anti-cancer therapy, which is fine-tuned by input from newly characterized associated biological processes.
Dr. Mustapha Kandouz
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- apoptosis
- cancer therapy
- cell death
- autophagy
- necroptosis
- ferroptosis
- pyroptosis
- stem cells
- small RNAs
- extracellular vesicles
- intercellular communication
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