Redefining the Role of Caspases In 1799, a granite stone was discovered in Rosetta, Egypt which contained text repeated in Greek, demotic, and hieroglyphics. Using the Greek translation as a key, scholars were able to decipher the two unknown languages, leading to a modern understanding of hieroglyphs. The “Rosetta Stone," as it became known, has become a metaphor for anything that is important to the process of decryption or unraveling a complex problem.
Lymphoma is evolving as the “Rosetta Stone” of cancer research because it is instrumental in elucidating fundamental tumorigenesis mechanisms in many types of cancer. As an example, Smac/DIABLO functions by blocking the anti-apoptotic function of IAPs, which are frequently over-expressed in tumors. In a recent patient study involving 16 B-cell non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes, differential Smac/DIABLO expression was identified between and within subtypes. These results suggest that apoptotic mechanisms are differentially involved in pathogenesis even among the same tumor subtype. They also imply that induction of Smac/DIABLO expression could be useful as an accessory therapy for lymphomas, and other cancers that present over-expression of IAPs but lack Smac/DIABLO.
IMGENEX has extensive portfolios of Cancer Tissue Microarrays,Tumor Tissue Lysates, and related Antibodies to facilitate cancer research. For research results are the “Rosetta Stones” that enable understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying cancer and help bridge the gaps between research and the clinic.
Smac/DIABLO Inhibits IAPs Smac/DIABLO promotes apoptosis by interacting with IAPs and inhibiting their anti-apoptotic function.
