A
major pathomechanism and obstacle for the treatment of malignant
disease is resistance of tumor cells against apoptosis and
chemotherapy. We hypothesize that a) cell-intrinsic as well as
cell-extrinsic mechanisms mediated by the microenvironment and the
functional interplay of these pathways contributes to escape from cell
death and to drug resistance, and b) that these mechanisms reflect
specific vulnerabilities of tumor cells that can be therapeutically
targeted. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of resistance
and translate them into novel treatment strategies, we initiated this
Helmholtz Virtual Institute with the aim of "Understanding and
Overcoming Resistance to Apoptosis and Therapy in Leukemia".
