Title:Noxa: Role in Cancer Pathogenesis and Treatment
Volume: 18
Issue: 10
Author(s): Rami Z. Morsi, Rouba Hage-Sleiman, Hadile Kobeissy and Ghassan Dbaibo*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut,Lebanon
Keywords:
Bcl-2, apoptosis, Noxa, cancer, B-cell lymphoma 2, p53.
Abstract: The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins play an important role in regulating apoptosis,
or programmed cell death, in response to several extracellular and intracellular signals. These
proteins are either pro-apoptotic or anti-apoptotic. The pro-apoptotic Noxa is a Bcl-2 family protein
that belongs to a subclass of BH3-only proteins. Noxa induces apoptosis via p53-dependent and/or
p53-independent mechanisms. While Noxa may play a limited role in apoptosis, it is a crucial player
that interacts with several proteins in the apoptosis pathway, highlighting its importance in the
pathogenesis and treatment of certain cancers. In this review, we will elucidate the mechanisms by
which Noxa regulates apoptosis and review the roles of chemotherapeutic drugs in relation to Noxa.
