Apoptosis induction in ovarian cancer cells

The immune system is in principle capable of detecting and eliminating tumor cells. However, a potent antitumor response usually does not occur. In contrast, virus infections lead to prompt immune activation and infected cells are immediately destroyed. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognizing nucleic acids are critical in the detection of cytopathic viruses and the subsequent triggering of an immune response. While the activity of endosomal nucleic acid receptors (TLR3, –7, –8, –9) is restricted mainly to immune cells, cytosolic nucleic acid receptors (RIG-I, MDA–5, DNA receptor) are ubiquitously expressed and ma…