Life and death in otolaryngology - Mechanisms of apoptosis and its role inthe pathology and treatment of disease

Objectives: To review recent advances in our understanding of programmed ce ll death, or apoptosis, and discuss implications of these basic science adv ances in our understanding of causes and potential treatments of a variety of diseases of the head and neck. Data Sources: Basic science literature relevant to the study of apoptosis a nd its clinical implications. Conclusions: Apoptosis is now understood to be important in the normal deve lopment and survival of all multicellular organisms. Deregulation of this n ormally tightly controlled process underlies a variety of disease states, i ncluding neoplasia, autoimmune disease, and disorders of the central nervou s system. A better understanding of this process and its regulation may hel p otolaryngologists better understand diseases relevant to this specialty a nd will lead to improved therapeutic interventions.