Does the BCL-2 family member BIK control lung carcinogenesis?

Abstract

Hyperplastic airway epithelial cells may be the cause for increased risk for lung cancer in patients with chronic lung diseases. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family member, Bcl-2-interacting killer (BIK), triggers cell death specifically in these hyperplastic cells because of adequate presence of Death-associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPk1), BCL-2 Antagonist Killer (BAK), and Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). Therefore, BIK may be a useful tool to control the development of lung cancer in patients with chronic diseases.