Bold R J, Termuhlen P M, McConkey D J
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Surg Oncol. 1997 Nov;6(3):133-42. doi: 10.1016/s0960-7404(97)00015-7.
Apoptosis is a specific process that leads to programmed cell death through the activation of an evolutionary conserved intracellular pathway leading to pathognomic cellular changes distinct from cellular necrosis. Apoptosis is essential in the homeostasis of normal tissues of the body, especially those of the gastrointestinal tract, immune system and skin. There is increasing evidence that the processes of neoplastic transformation, progression and metastasis involve alterations in the normal apoptotic pathways. Furthermore, the majority of chemotherapeutic agents as well as radiation utilize the apoptotic pathway to induce cancer cell death. Resistance to standard chemotherapies also seems to be determined by alterations in the apoptotic pathways of cancer cells. Therefore, understanding the signals of apoptosis and the mechanism of apoptosis may allow the development of better chemo- or radiotherapeutic regimens for the treatment of cancer. Finally, components of the apoptotic pathway may represent potential therapeutic targets using gene therapy techniques.
细胞凋亡是一个特定的过程，它通过激活一条进化上保守的细胞内途径导致程序性细胞死亡，从而产生与细胞坏死不同的特征性细胞变化。细胞凋亡对于身体正常组织的稳态至关重要，尤其是胃肠道、免疫系统和皮肤的组织。越来越多的证据表明，肿瘤转化、进展和转移过程涉及正常凋亡途径的改变。此外，大多数化疗药物以及放疗都利用凋亡途径诱导癌细胞死亡。对标准化疗的耐药性似乎也由癌细胞凋亡途径的改变所决定。因此，了解细胞凋亡的信号和机制可能有助于开发更好的化疗或放疗方案来治疗癌症。最后，凋亡途径的组成部分可能代表了使用基因治疗技术的潜在治疗靶点。
