Oral Disinfectants Inhibit Protein–Protein Interactions Mediated by the Anti‐Apoptotic Protein Bcl‐xL and Induce Apoptosis in Human Oral Tumor Cells

Chlorhexidine and alexidine have long been used as oral disinfectants by humans. Both compounds inhibit protein–protein interactions mediated by the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL at physiologically relevant concentrations and induce apoptosis in a series of tumor cell lines derived from the tongue and pharynx (see picture). Inhibition of protein–protein interactions is a potential mode of action of drugs in current human use.