‘TRAIL’ of targeted colorectal cancer therapy

Abstract

TRAIL, a tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily, which is a cytokine that has shown a particularly precise and selective affinity towards death receptors that are overexpressed in cancer cells. While leaving the normal cells intact and unharmed, due to this property it has been the ligand of choice for highly precise cancer chemotherapeutic delivery system development. On numerous occasions, TRAIL has been used singularly and in combination with other drugs. It was observed that TRAIL had a tendency to be susceptible in terms of the cancer cells developing resistance against it. So TRAIL monotherapy was a bit of a rough patch for the molecule to become successful in the chemotherapy universe, however the conjugations and synergistic actions of TRAIL opened up new horizons which are discussed in this review with specific interest on colorectal cancer (CRC).