Apoptosis in leukemias: Regulation and therapeutic targeting

Nearly 25 years after the seminal publication of John Foxton Kerr that first described apoptosis, the process of regulated cell death, our understanding of this basic physiological phenomenon is far from complete [39]. From cardiovascular disease to cancer, apoptosis has assumed a central role with broad ranging therapeutic implications that depend on a complete understanding of the molecular events involved in orchestrating cellular demise. More than 145,301 (as of April 2008) published works on this subject have increased our understanding of this process, yet have also identified an incredibly complex regulatory system that is critical for development and is at the core of many diseases, challenging scientists and clinicians to step into its molecular realm and modulate its circuitry for therapeutic purposes. This chapter will review our understanding of the molecular circuitry that controls apoptosis in leukemia and the pharmacological manipulations of this pathway that may yield therapeutic benefit.