We tend to think about cancer targets as self contained little...

We tend to think about cancer targets as self contained little boxes. For instance, Genentech have an online page titled Disease Pathways and Cancer Exploration. Outlined are a number of links including;

Explore BCL-2 - investigate BCL-2 and its role in apoptosis.
Explore MDM2 - find out more about the MDM2-p53 pathway and its role in apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest.

After a small amount of research in relation to Myc it quickly becomes apparent that the little box approach is misguided at best. Two scientific papers in Oncogene outline the case;

Myc pathways provoking cell suicide and cancer published 2003 by Nilsson and Cleveland
Apoptotic signaling by c-MYC published 2008 by Hoffman and Liebermann

It would appear that Bcl-2, p53 and Myc should all be mentioned in the same sentence. Two headings from the first paper outline the case, firstly Myc compromises mitochondrial functions by targeting the Bcl-2 network and secondly Myc triggers the Arf-p53 tumor suppressor pathway. An interesting heading from the second paper is titled Cross talk between Myc and p53 in regulating cell survival and apoptosis.

I could also mention a third paper published in Perspectives in Medicine in 2014 titled Myc and the Control of Apoptosis by Steven McMahon. The following headings are of interest; Bcl-2 Activation as a Common Mechanism for Evading Myc Driven Apoptosis and Role of p53 in the Apoptotic Effects of Myc.


It would appear that the successful targeting of Myc could re-shape the pharmacological approach to cancer and become a powerful tool in combination therapy.