Bcl-2 inhibitors

Bcl-2 inhibitors are a class of pharmaceutical compounds designed to target and inhibit the activity of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) proteins. Bcl-2 proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in mammalian cells. They are part of a larger family of proteins that either promote or inhibit apoptosis, maintaining the balance between cell survival and death. Specifically, Bcl-2 proteins regulate the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane and the release of pro-apoptotic factors that trigger cell death pathways. In cancer cells, overexpression of Bcl-2 proteins can confer resistance to apoptosis, allowing cancer cells to evade cell death and proliferate uncontrollably. By inhibiting Bcl-2 proteins, Bcl-2 inhibitors aim to restore apoptosis sensitivity in cancer cells, thereby promoting their death and potentially slowing down tumor growth.