Apoptosis

Apoptosis is the genetically regulated form of cell death that permits the safe disposal of cells at the point in time when they have fulfilled their intended biological function. Examples of apoptosis can be cited throughout the whole of the animal and plant kingdoms. It is a vitally important proc ess during normal development and the adult life of many living organisms. In humans, dysregulation of apoptosis can result in inflammatory, malignant , autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, infectious agent s, including viruses, exploit cellular apoptosis in the host to evade the i mmune system. This review gives a brief historical perspective of some of t he landmark discoveries in apoptosis research. The morphological and bioche mical stages of apoptosis are then covered, followed by an overview of how it can be studied in the laboratory. Finally, the implications for therapeu tic intervention in disease treatment are discussed.