The role of necroptosis, an alternative form of cell death, in cancer therapy

Abstract

Programmed cell death plays an important role in animal development, tissue homeostasis and eliminating harmful or virally infected cells. Necroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death, is caspase independent but RIPK and RIPK3 dependent. Moreover, it is suggested that necroptosis can be specifically inhibited by small molecular inhibitors such as necrostatin-1. Its signaling pathways have something in common with apoptosis, although the molecular mechanisms of necroptosis need to be further elucidated. Previous evidences suggest that necroptosis has significant effects in regulating various physiological processes and disease, such as ischemic brain injury, immune system disorders and cancer. In this review, the molecular mechanism of necroptosis is described and how it could be manipulated in the treatment of cancer is summarized.

Keywords::

• apoptosis
• cancer
• necroptosis
• programmed cell death
• receptor-interacting protein

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Jing Yu (Hunan Research Institute of Food Quality Supervision and Inspection, Hunan, China) for her helpful discussions and kind advice.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This project was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB522300), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (90813028 and 30830113) and the Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation for Postgraduate. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.