Role of apoptosis in immune system and disease

Abstract EN

The survival of multicellular organism requires a balance between cell division and cell death.

Excessive proliferation of cells death has been implicated in the onset and progression of various diseases such as autoimmunity, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Cells generally die in two ways, either by necrosis or apoptosis, depending on the context and cause of death.

Necrosis is a nonphysiologica death that occurs in response to injury by toxins, physical stimuli, or ischemia.

Swellings of cells disruption of membranes are prominent features of necrosis, and the nuclear chromatin undergoes lysis, releasing the cytoplasmic and nuclear contents into the intercellular space, which lead to inflammation.

Although necrosis plays an important role in certain severe inflammatory responses and in acute injury, it is not the mechanism by which cell normally die.