Apoptosis promotes early tumorigenesis

One hallmark of cancer is intrinsic or acquired resistance to apoptosis. Surprisingly, recent studies demonstrate that CD95/Fas/Apo1 and p53 upregulated mediator of apoptosis/PUMA (potent inducers of the death receptor and the mitochondrial apoptotic pathways, respectively) promote tumorigenesis. These findings provide important insights into the multifaceted roles of apoptosis in tumorigenesis. Oncogene (2011) 30, 1851-1854; doi: 10.1038/onc.2010.573; published online 13 December 2010