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Methods for inducing apoptosis

Kathryn M Roberts1, Antony Rosen, Livia A Casciola-Rosen

  • 1Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Methods in Molecular Medicine
|August 3, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Abnormalities in cell death and clearance can trigger autoimmune responses by exposing novel antigens. This study details methods to induce and detect apoptosis, crucial for understanding systemic autoimmune diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Apoptotic cells normally promote immune tolerance.
  • Defects in apoptosis or clearance lead to autoantigen exposure.
  • This can initiate autoimmune responses in systemic autoimmune diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the biochemistry and cell biology of autoantigens in systemic autoimmune diseases.
  • To describe methods for inducing and assaying apoptosis relevant to autoimmune disease research.

Main Methods:

  • Induction of apoptosis using ultraviolet B irradiation, small molecule drugs, death receptor ligation, and cytotoxic lymphocyte granule components.
  • Assaying apoptosis by measuring changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, phosphatidylserine localization, DNA content, and autoantigen cleavage.

Main Results:

  • Detailed protocols for various apoptosis induction methods are provided.
  • Specific assays for confirming apoptosis are described, focusing on key cellular and molecular changes.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding apoptosis and its clearance is critical for autoimmune disease pathogenesis.
  • The described methods provide a framework for studying autoantigens and cell death in autoimmunity.

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