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Paradoxical role of apoptosis in tumor progression
Author(s) -
Gurova Katerina V.,
Gudkov Andrei V.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.10382
Subject(s) - apoptosis , suppressor , tumor progression , loss function , cancer research , biology , phenotype , function (biology) , tumor suppressor gene , mechanism (biology) , gene , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , carcinogenesis , philosophy , epistemology
Abstract Tumors frequently acquire resistance to apoptosis that is expected to contribute to malignant phenotype and reduce sensitivity to treatment. In fact, inactivation of p53 tumor suppressor gene resulting in suppression of apoptosis serves as a negative prognostic marker. Surprisingly, expression of a strong anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2, another mechanism to avoid apoptosis, was found to be associated with a favorable prognosis. This paradoxical anti‐progressor function of Bcl‐2 has been explained in literature based on the negative effect of Bcl‐2 on cell proliferation. Here, by analyzing accumulated experimental and clinical data, we provide evidence supporting another hypothesis that defines apoptosis as an accelerator of tumor progression. The mechanism of anti‐progressor function of Bcl‐2 is based on creation of tumors that maintain control of genomic stability by eliminating selective advantages for the cells that acquire resistance to apoptosis through loss of p53. Thus, inhibition of apoptosis does not lead to loss of genomic stability and creates tumor environment that no longer supports further tumor progression and inhibitors of apoptosis can be considered as factors suppressing tumor progression. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.