Abstract
Apoptotic cell death is widely considered a positive process that both prevents and treats cancer. Although undoubtedly having a beneficial role, paradoxically, apoptosis can also cause unwanted effects that may even promote cancer. In this Opinion article we highlight some of the ways by which apoptosis can exert oncogenic functions. We argue that fully understanding this dark side will be required to optimally engage apoptosis, thereby maximizing tumour cell kill while minimizing unwanted pro-tumorigenic effects.
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Acknowledgements
G.I. is funded by an EMBO Advanced Fellowship (aALTF 772-2015) and Tenovus Scotland. The Tait laboratory is funded by Cancer Research UK (C40872/A20145), the Royal Society, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (BB/K008374/1), the European Union, Breast Cancer Now (2015NovSPR589) and Tenovus Scotland. S.W.G.T. is a Royal Society University Research Fellow.
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Ichim, G., Tait, S. A fate worse than death: apoptosis as an oncogenic process. Nat Rev Cancer 16, 539–548 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc.2016.58
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc.2016.58
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