Summary:
Apoptosis (programmed cell death) ensures under physiological conditions cell homeostasis. Under pathological
conditions excessive apoptosis, premature apoptosis or delayed or infinite apoptosis of cell is a sign of various serious
diseases. Due to intensive research in this field it proved possible to assess nowadays at a molecular level a number
of pro- and anti-apoptotic factors and their function in the process of apoptosis. Apoptosis proceeds by external as
well as internal pathway. Factors involved in apoptosis are studied from the aspect of their possible therapeutic
application in tissue cultures, experimental animals, and there are already some inicial reports from human pathology.
Delayed or infinite apoptosis is a typical property of tumor cells. So far most attention was paid to two ways of
apoptosis induction of tumor cells: suppressed translation of the antiapoptic factor Bcl 2 by means of an antisense
nucleotide and induction of apoptosis by TRAIL (TNF related apoptosis inducing ligand). Conversely a delay of
premature apoptosis gives hope for hitherto untreatable neurodegenerative diseases, myelodysplastic syndromes,
ischaemic events and some severe infections. This is achieved by means of peptides inhibiting caspases. Provided
that modulation of cell apoptosis will not be associated with inacceptable side-effects, it will become a new
therapeutic approach in of hitherto inadequately curable diseases.
Key words:
apoptosis therapeuticapplication, antiBcl 2, TRIAL, caspases inhibitors.
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