Apoptosis is often deregulated in a number of human diseases. Heat-induced apoptosis is a model system for studying the consequences of protein misfolding and is mediated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. This family consists of both pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic members that control mitochondrial integrity. The BH3-only pro-apoptotic members are strong inducers of apoptotic cell death. Protein damaging stress can activate a process of cellular destruction known as apoptosis. The pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins and transcription factors activate this death pathway by inhibiting the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins eliminating cancer cells in a short period of time.

在许多人类疾病中，细胞凋亡通常被放松。热诱导的凋亡是用于研究蛋白质错误折叠的后果的模型系统，并由蛋白质的Bcl-2家族介导。该家族由控制线粒体完整性的促凋亡成员和抗凋亡成员组成。仅BH3促凋亡成员是凋亡细胞死亡的强诱导剂。蛋白质破坏性应激可以激活称为细胞凋亡的细胞破坏过程。促凋亡的仅BH3蛋白和转录因子通过抑制抗凋亡的Bcl-2家族蛋白在短时间内消除癌细胞来激活该死亡途径。