Abstract
Systemic chemotherapy plays an integral part in treating advanced colorectal cancer. However 50% of patients respond poorly or have disease progression due to resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. This article reviews the pathways that regulate apoptosis, apoptotic mechanisms through which chemotherapeutic agents mediate their effect and how deregulation of apoptotic proteins may contribute to chemo-resistance. Also discussed are potential therapeutic strategies designed to target these proteins and thereby improve response rates to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.
Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
MeSH terms
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Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use
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Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
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Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
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Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
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Apoptosis*
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Bevacizumab
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Cell Death / physiology
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Cell Proliferation
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Cetuximab
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Clinical Trials as Topic
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Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology*
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Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
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Humans
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Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
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Microtubule-Associated Proteins / physiology
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Microtubule-Associated Proteins / therapeutic use
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Neoplasm Proteins / physiology
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Neoplasm Proteins / therapeutic use
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Neoplasm Staging
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / physiology
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Signal Transduction
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Survivin
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TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand* / physiology
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / physiology
Substances
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Angiogenesis Inhibitors
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Antibodies, Monoclonal
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
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Antineoplastic Agents
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BIRC5 protein, human
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Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins
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Microtubule-Associated Proteins
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Neoplasm Proteins
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Survivin
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TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand
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Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
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Bevacizumab
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Cetuximab