Understanding how Bcl-2 proteins form the apoptotic pores that kill cells

程序性细胞死亡称为细胞凋亡，是我们的身体用来清除威胁我们健康的细胞的过程，例如癌细胞。调节细胞死亡的蛋白质是对这种防御机制产生抵抗力的治疗药物的诱人靶点。这项研究将揭示Bcl2家族的蛋白质如何在分子水平上调节细胞死亡。了解这一过程将为旨在调节癌症和其他疾病中细胞死亡的药物的开发提供信息。

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.