APOPTOSIS REGULATING ONCOGENES IN THE MEC HANISMS OF LYMPHOMA AND CARCINOGENESIS

The new data about the role of the impairment of molecular regulation of apoptosis in the mechanisms of carcinogenesis are summarized in the review. The exposure of the high levels of bcl-2 oncogene expression in human malignant follicular lymphoma cells which was found to be a s trong repressor of the programmed cell death, led to a discovery of a new category of oncogenes - regulators of apoptosis. Their coperative interrelationship with c-myc protooncogene and other genes able to inf luence cell proliferation, allows to consider deregulation of apoptosi s as an integral component of lymphoma- and cancerogenesis which is si gnificant even at initial stages. The data about the role of the oncog enic virus' genes in apoptosis and cell transformation are analysed to o. This data may be basis for new anti-cancer therapeutic approaches.