TRAIL - A MOLECULE WITH MULTIPLE RECEPTORS AND CONTROL MECHANISMS

Apoptosis research is benefiting from bioinformatic approaches to iden tify new components of the cell death machinery and novel cell death i nducers/receptors. Over the past year, knowledge of the system involvi ng TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and its receptors has increased via genomic database analysis to include four distinct rece ptors that interact with a single ligand. Currently, these molecules a re of major interest due to their potential roles and application in c ancer therapy.