Regulation of cancer cell survival by BCL2 family members upon prolonged mitotic arrest: opportunities for anticancer therapy

Anticancer Res. 2012 Oct;32(10):4225-33.

Abstract

Attacking cancer cell survival defense by targeting B-Cell Lymphoma 2 (BCL2) family of anti-apoptotic proteins may provide a powerful means to improve chemotherapy efficiency. This could be particularly relevant to anti-mitotic-based therapy, where tumor response relates to a competing network between mitotic cell death signaling and mitotic slippage as an adaptative response to a leaky mitotic checkpoint. In this review, we focus on recent findings that point out the major role played by BCL2 family members in response to anti-mitotic agents, which reveal dependence of cancer cell survival on BCL2 homologs during mitotic arrest and after mitotic slippage. Finally, we discuss pre-clinical data combining anti-mitotic agents with BCL2 inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimitotic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mitosis / drug effects*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

  • Antimitotic Agents
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2