Bortezomib: Proteasome Inhibition as a Novel Mechanism of Cancer Therapy-Implications for Hematological Malignancies

The proteasome is a multicatalytic proteinase complex that is responsible for protein turnover through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Bortezomib is the first drug to act as a proteasome inhibitor, and has yielded impressive anticancer effects in phase III trials in multiple myeloma. Its role in other hematological malignancies is being evaluated. Proteasome inhibition, therefore, represents a novel mechanism for anticancer therapy.