Dears,

I am sending a new experiment on the short queue targeting inhibitor of apoptosis proteins.

Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) constitute a family of conserved protein in the apoptotic pathway. In other words, they prevent the "programmed death" of cells; therefore, their over-expression enhances survival and resistance to anticancer agents. Small molecules (smac mimetics, SM), similar to the natural antagonist of IAPs, are a first generation of drugs which have been developed to sensitize cells to apoptosis. Although they are currently used in cancer therapy, there are some cases in which the SM-mediated degradation brings to the non canonical activation of NFkb and so to the expression of CIAP2 gene, suppressing TNF-alpha killing; in other words, resistance may arise to SM. In this set of simulations we are testing some mechanisms with which apoptosis in resistant cancer cells may be restored.

The WUs are tagged "*IAP*".

Thanks!