Selection of Aptamers for CED-9/Bcl-2 Family Cell Death Regulators and Their Application in Study of Apoptosis Regulation and Drug Design for Breast Cancer
Abstract
A central issue in cancer biology is how a tissue maintains appropriate cell numbers. Apoptosis plays an essential role in controlling cell numbers by inducing the deaths of extra cells. The Bcl-2 family proteins are conserved apoptosis regulators. Overexpression of bcl-2 can cause B-cell lymphoma and likely other human cancers, including breast cancer. How Bcl-2 family proteins act to regulate apoptosis is poorly understood. The major goal of this project is to carry out in vitro selection (SELEX) to identify high affinity and specificity small RNA ligands (aptamers) for CED-9, a C elegans Bcl-2-like apoptosis inhibitor, and three important mammalian Bcl-2 family proteins, and then use isolated apatmers to study how CED-9/Bcl-2 family proteins regulate apoptosis. We have developed and improved the SELEX method and have made progresses and obtained promising results on isolating aptamers for CED-9 and mammalian Bcl-2 proteins. We will continue the screens until high affinity aptamers for CED-9 and other Bcl-2 family proteins are isolated. The studies described here will provide a novel approach and generate new reagents for studying the mechanisms of Bcl-2 family proteins in apoptosis. These studies may also yield potential diagnostic reagents and may generate potent apoptosis-inducing compounds useful in the detection and treatment of breast cancer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA408736
Entities
People
- Berry Hatton
- Chonglin Yang
- Ding Xue
Organizations
- University of Colorado Boulder