MECHANISMS OF APOPTOTIC CELL-DEATH

Apoptosis is the mechanism by which cells are programmed to die under a wide range of physiological and developmental stimuli. Several media tors of programmed cell death have been identified and signals of apop tosis have been found to utilize common pathways, some of which have b een elucidated. This review focuses on a number of apoptotic systems t hat have been widely studied and discuss recent progress and opinion i n these areas. These include studies on Fas signaling, tumor suppresso r genes, cell cycle interfaces, stress responses, genetic systems, and the Bcl-2 family. Understanding apoptosis from these perspectives she ds substantial light on processes of biological homeostasis. Furthermo re, the ability to manipulate the apoptotic response may lead to novel therapeutic interventions in cancer and other diseases.