Targeting c-FLICE-like inhibitory protein (CFLAR) in cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Evasion of apoptosis (programmed cell death) is one of the characteristic hallmarks of human cancers and may be caused by aberrant expression of antiapoptotic proteins. Among those is c-FLICE-like inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), a protein that not only blocks apoptosis signaling but also regulates additional cell death pathways. AREAS COVERED: Because c-FLIP is regulated both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional level by various mechanisms and is a short-lived protein with a rapid turnover, the regulation of c-FLIP expression represents a versatile tool to modulate cell death signaling pathways. Because c-FLIP is aberrantly expressed in various cancers, it represents a promising target for therapeutic intervention. EXPERT OPINION: Therefore, insights into the molecular events that regulate c-FLIP expression and activity in human cancers will provide the basis for the development of new strategies to target c-FLIP expression in human cancers.