Cell death and studies in a sarcoma

[D.ap]

Cell Death Pathways as Therapeutic Targets in Rhabdomyosarcoma

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/sarcoma/2012/326210/
The conclusion

Programmed cell death is a key regulator of tissue homeostasis and plays a central role in tumorigenesis. In addition, intactness of apoptosis pathways constitutes a critical determinant of the sensitivity versus resistance of RMS to most current treatment strategies. The discoveries over the last years on the regulation of apoptosis signaling pathways in RMS resulted in the identification of new molecular targets, which can be exploited for the development of innovative experimental therapies, for example, TRAIL receptor agonists, small molecule inhibitors of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, or strategies targeting IAP proteins. One key challenge in the future will be to develop biomarkers in order to identify the group(s) of patients that will profit the most from these molecular targeted therapies. Also, it will likely be critical to develop rational combination therapies using these signal transduction modulators together with conventional cancer therapies such as chemo- or radiotherapy in order to exploit synergistic interactions. Hopefully, this strategy to engage cell death signaling pathways in RMS cells will open new avenues for the treatment of RMS patients.