GENE THERAPY APPROACHES TO TARGET CELL DEATH FOR CANCER TREATMENT: COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS

摘要

A nucleic acid molecule encoding human Hrk, a novel member of the Bcl-2 signal transduction pathway, is provided. Hrk binds with Bcl-2 and Bcl-XLb, thereby promoting programmed cell death. Methods of inducing programmed cell death are also provided wherein a gene encoding an inhibitor of a death-repressor protein is expressed in a cell such as a cancer cell. In addition, methods of selectively inducing apoptotic cell death in leukemic cells and mammary carcinoma cells, without inducing apoptosis in normal cells, are provided.