image: Cells with primed mitochondria are more sensitive to chemotherapy than those with unprimed mitochondria. Unprimed cells are supported by more anti-death protein reserve (BCL-2, MCl-1, BCL-XL, BCL-w, BFL-1) than are primed cells. Primed cells are thus easily destroyed by death signals (BIM, BID, PUMA) initiated by chemotherapy treatment. The measurement of how primed mitochondria are before treatment can be performed with BH3 profiling. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 27, 2011, issue of Science Express, published by AAAS. The paper, by T. Ni Chonghaile of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, and colleagues, was titled, “Pretreatment Mitochondrial Priming Correlates with Clinical Response to Cytotoxic Chemotherapy.” view more
Credit: Image courtesy of Kris Sarosiek