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

程序性细胞死亡被称为细胞凋亡，是我们的身体用来清除对我们健康构成威胁的细胞（如癌细胞）的过程。调节细胞死亡的蛋白质是对这种防御机制产生抗性的治疗方法的有吸引力的靶标。这项研究将揭示Bcl-2家族蛋白如何在分子水平上调控细胞死亡。了解这一过程将有助于开发旨在调节癌症和其他疾病中细胞死亡的药物。

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.