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Dr. Josef Steiner Cancer Research Prize Lecture: The role of physiological cell death in neoplastic transformation and in anti‐cancer therapy
Author(s) -
Strasser Andreas
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0215(19990517)81:4<505::aid-ijc1>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - programmed cell death , neoplastic transformation , cancer , biology , apoptosis , malignant transformation , cancer research , cancer cell , cell , cell cycle , immunology , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , carcinogenesis
Cell death is a physiological process which is required for normal development and existence of multi‐cellular organisms. Physiological cell death, or apoptosis, is controlled by an evolutionarily conserved mechanism. Abnormalities in this process are implicated as a cause or contributing factor in a variety of diseases. Inhibition of apoptosis can promote neoplastic transformation, particularly in combination with dysregulated cell‐cycle control, and can influence the response of tumour cells to anti‐cancer therapy. Molecular biological and biochemical approaches are used to find missing cell‐death regulators and to define signalling cascades, while experiments in genetically modified mice will identify the essential function of these molecules. Discoveries from cell death research should provide clues for designing therapies for a variety of diseases, including degenerative disorders, auto‐immunity and cancer. Int. J. Cancer 81:505–511, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.