Dear Editor,

Death receptor/death ligand interactions have been recognized as important triggers of cell death in various cell types. So far, best understood are the signaling events that are activated upon binding of the Fas ligand to the Fas (CD95) receptor, and subsequently lead to apoptosis in the target cell. Fas-mediated apoptosis plays a crucial role in many physiological and pathophysiological events, such as immune homeostasis, immune privilege, tissue turnover, and cell-mediated cytotoxicity.1, 2 Similar to Fas ligand, TRAIL/Apo-2 ligand (Tumor Necrosis Factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) has been proposed to represent an important cytotoxic effector molecule, by which cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells eliminate their target cells. TRAIL has particularly received strong scientific attention due to its proposed role in tumor immune surveillance and its potential therapeutic application in cancer patients.3

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