Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins

The preceding decade has witnessed a genuine revolution in our understanding of the regulation of cell homeostasis in health and disease. Apoptosis has emerged as the fundamental mechanism of cell loss in most, if not all, genetic disorders and injury states, and has also resulted in a fundamental change in our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer. At the molecular level, the evolving description of mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation as central elements of apoptosis have transpired to challenge our underlying assumptions of cellular function. Of the many breakthrough discoveries over the preceding decade, the discovery and characterization of the caspases represents a milestone in our understanding of cellular processes. Consequently, the control of caspase activity now holds tremendous therapeutic potential and is under intense investigation in academic and pharmaceutical company laboratories worldwide.