About this Research Topic
During the last decade, the scientific community has become increasingly interested in the role of apoptosis in the context of different pathologies. Apoptosis represents one of the most important mechanisms of cell death, with a key role in maintaining cell homeostasis, by controlling normal cell turnover, cell development and activity of the immune system, as well as other vital biological processes. It is highly regulated, and abnormalities in this pathway are involved in several diseases, such as neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders, ischemic damage, and cancer.
The Bcl-2 and the inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein (IAP) families are the two main proteins that control apoptosis. The Bcl-2 family comprehends both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, which are clustered in the anti-apoptotic subfamily BH1-4, and the proapoptotic subfamilies (multi-region and BH3-only). On the other hand, the IAP family members contain one or more BIR domains and are responsible for apoptosis inhibition by blocking caspases.
Recent literature reports that several diseases show altered levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, suggesting that targeting these molecules could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. As the balance between these proteins finely tunes apoptosis and modulates the cellular response to external stimuli, the impairment of the pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins ratio could be exploited by the cells as a survival mechanism in aberrant conditions. Based on this rationale, the use of compounds that target the BCL2 or IAP family members is increasingly discussed for the treatment of different pathologies.
This Research Topic aims at exploring the landscape of the different approaches that implicate the modulation of the apoptotic rheostat in different human diseases to provide insight into developing novel disease prevention and treatment strategies via targeting apoptosis.
The present Research Topic welcomes Original Research and Review articles covering the latest and current findings concerning the modulation of the apoptotic rheostat in human diseases.
Areas to be covered in the current Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• insights on the mechanisms of apoptotic cell death and its role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis;
• employment of BH3 mimetics and IAP inhibitors in clinics;
• development of new pharmacological modulators of apoptosis;
• discovery of new targets that affect apoptosis;
• crosstalk between apoptosis and alternative death pathways (e.g., necroptosis, autophagic cell death, ferroptosis, pyroptosis) in diseases.
The Bcl-2 and the inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein (IAP) families are the two main proteins that control apoptosis. The Bcl-2 family comprehends both pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, which are clustered in the anti-apoptotic subfamily BH1-4, and the proapoptotic subfamilies (multi-region and BH3-only). On the other hand, the IAP family members contain one or more BIR domains and are responsible for apoptosis inhibition by blocking caspases.
Recent literature reports that several diseases show altered levels of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, suggesting that targeting these molecules could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. As the balance between these proteins finely tunes apoptosis and modulates the cellular response to external stimuli, the impairment of the pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins ratio could be exploited by the cells as a survival mechanism in aberrant conditions. Based on this rationale, the use of compounds that target the BCL2 or IAP family members is increasingly discussed for the treatment of different pathologies.
This Research Topic aims at exploring the landscape of the different approaches that implicate the modulation of the apoptotic rheostat in different human diseases to provide insight into developing novel disease prevention and treatment strategies via targeting apoptosis.
The present Research Topic welcomes Original Research and Review articles covering the latest and current findings concerning the modulation of the apoptotic rheostat in human diseases.
Areas to be covered in the current Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
• insights on the mechanisms of apoptotic cell death and its role in the regulation of cellular homeostasis;
• employment of BH3 mimetics and IAP inhibitors in clinics;
• development of new pharmacological modulators of apoptosis;
• discovery of new targets that affect apoptosis;
• crosstalk between apoptosis and alternative death pathways (e.g., necroptosis, autophagic cell death, ferroptosis, pyroptosis) in diseases.
Keywords: Apoptosis, targeted therapy, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
