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Review

Nature Reviews Cancer 2, 647–656 (1 September 2002) | doi:10.1038/nrc883

The Bcl2 family: regulators of the cellular life-or-death switch

Suzanne Cory & Jerry M. Adams

Tissue homeostasis is regulated by apoptosis, the cell-suicide programme that is executed by proteases called caspases. The Bcl2 family of intracellular proteins is the central regulator of caspase activation, and its opposing factions of anti- and pro-apoptotic members arbitrate the life-or-death decision. Apoptosis is often impaired in cancer and can limit conventional therapy. A better understanding of how the Bcl2 family controls caspase activation should result in new, more effective therapeutic approaches.