Apoptosis shortcut

Targeting proteins in the apoptotic pathway can be difficult because the pathway is often rendered nonfunctional by mutations and because many of the proteins are not specific to cancer cells, causing apoptosis in both cancerous and healthy cells. To avoid these issues, BioLineRx Ltd. has chosen a target that bypasses much of the pathway and is up-regulated in many cancers.

Last week, the company received a license from the University of Illinois to BL-4030. BioLineRx (Tel Aviv:BLRX, Jerusalem, Israel) believes the small molecule will sidestep the faulty machinery of the apoptotic cascade through the direct activation of procaspase-3. ...