Understanding How Bcl-2 Proteins Form The Apoptotic Pores That Kill Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$893,614.00
Summary
Programmed cell death termed apoptosis is a process our bodies use to remove cells that are a threat to our health, e.g. cancer cells. The proteins that regulate cell death are attractive targets for therapeutics that have become resistant to this defence mechanism. This study will reveal how proteins from the Bcl-2 family regulate cell death at the molecular level. Understanding this process will inform the development of drugs aimed at regulating cell death in cancer and other diseases.
In cancer cells the normal process of cell death (called apoptosis) is defective, helping abnormal cells to grow and multiply unchecked. The Bak protein is a member of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulators, and plays a pivotal role in mediating cell death. By defining each step in Bak-mediated apoptosis, we aim to better understand how cancer cells accumulate, and how targeting the Bcl-2 family may lead to effective anti-cancer therapeutics.
Role Of Bak And Bax Membrane Anchors In Targeting And Apoptotic Pore Formation.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$352,319.00
Summary
In cancer cells the normal process of cell death (called apoptosis) is defective, helping abnormal cells to grow and multiply unchecked. The Bak and Bax proteins are members of the Bcl-2 family of apoptosis regulators, and play a pivotal role in mediating cell death. By defining how these proteins form a pore in mitochondria, the point of no return in cell death, will help the development of novel anti-cancer agents that target the Bcl-2 family in general, and Bak and Bax in particular.