A gated hydrophobic funnel within BAX binds long-chain alkenals to potentiate pro-apoptotic function.

Mitochondria maintain a biochemical environment that cooperates with BH3-only proteins (e.g., BIM) to potentiate BAX activation, the key event to initiate physiological and pharmacological forms of apoptosis.

Implementing Mental Health Screening for Adolescent Hematology and Oncology Patients: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic illnesses experience an increase in mental health concerns. A mental health screening (MHS) process for hematology and oncology patients was implemented in a single institution. The quality improvement project was conducted to integrate a MHS process, educate providers about the importance of mental health in this patient population, and evaluate the process.

A kinetic fluorescence polarization ligand assay for monitoring BAX early activation.

Developmental, homeostatic, and pharmacological pro-apoptotic signals converge by activating the BCL-2 family member BAX. Studies investigating molecular regulation of BAX are commonly limited to methodologies measuring endpoint phenotypes and do not assess activation of monomeric BAX. Here, we present FLAMBE, a fluorescence polarization ligand assay for monitoring BAX early activation, that measures activation-induced release of a peptide probe in real time.

CDK4/6 inhibition as maintenance and combination therapy for high grade serous ovarian cancer.

High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is a disease with a high relapse rate and poor overall survival despite good initial responses to platinum-based therapy. Cell cycle inhibition with targeted CDK4/6 inhibitors is a new therapeutic approach showing promise as a maintenance therapy in cancer. As multiple genes in the CDK4/6 pathway are commonly mutated or dysregulated in ovarian cancer, we evaluated the efficacy of the CDK4/6 inhibitor Ribociclib alone, in combination with chemotherapy, and as maintenance therapy in several models of HGSOC.