question: What is the role of necroptosis in cancer therapy?
answer: Necroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death (PCD), is caspase independent but RIPK and RIPK3 dependent. The apoptotic, autophagic and necroptotic pathways of PCD were shown to be interconnected, with molecules such as FLIP acting as a bridge between them. Therefore, simultaneous activation of the three PCD pathways would make cancer therapy more effective, whereas induction of necroptosis could be an alternative, in cases where apoptosis-inducing cancer chemotherapy is not effective. For example, inhibition of GSK3B was found to bypass drug resistance of p53-null colon carcinomas by enabling necroptosis in response to 5-FU treatment.