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The apoptotic pathway: a target for therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Bentley D. P.,
Pepper C. J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
hematological oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1099-1069
pISSN - 0278-0232
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1069(200009)18:3<87::aid-hon661>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - apoptosis , chronic lymphocytic leukemia , pathogenesis , programmed cell death , cytotoxic t cell , immunology , leukemia , cancer research , drug resistance , medicine , cell , biology , genetics , in vitro
Cell division and apoptosis (programmed cell death) are the two major physiological processes which control the size of cell populations. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia arises as a result of the clonal expansion of, usually B‐, lymphocytes in which a dysregulation of apoptosis leads to prolonged cell survival. The same process becomes exaggerated with increasing drug resistance, the usual cause of treatment failure in this condition. The identification of points in the apoptotic pathway at which dysregulation occurs is beginning to open up new therapeutic opportunities where the conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy approach is found to fail. Although these strategies are still in their infancy they may increase understanding of the pathogenesis of the disorder and overcome the problem of drug resistance. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.