Grant: Operating Grant

The Bcl-2 family of proteins stands among the most crucial regulators of cell death (apoptosis) and performs vital function in deciding whether a cancer cell will live or die after cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In addition, recent studies reveal that members of the family also interface with cell cycle progression and DNA repair pathways, effects that are generally distinct from their functions in apoptosis. This study will focus on one member of the Bcl-2 family, and further analyse the mechanisms by which Bcl-xL plays roles during the cell cycle checkpoints. Many efforts are already being pursued to develop new drugs targeting anti-apoptotic bcl-2 and cell cycle regulatory family members, with the ultimate goal of improving or developing alternative therapeutic protocols for cancer therapy. Thus, it is important to explore how these key regulatory molecules interface together to improve our understanding for potential clinical use of these novel cancer chemotherapy molecules.