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Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
09:18

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death

Published on: December 27, 2016

The role of apoptosis-induced proliferation for regeneration and cancer

Hyung Don Ryoo1, Andreas Bergmann

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|August 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Apoptosis-induced proliferation, where dying cells stimulate neighboring cells to divide, is crucial for tissue regeneration. This process, however, can also drive cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Molecular biology
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Apoptotic genes are essential for eliminating damaged or cancerous cells, contributing to organismal survival.
  • Emerging evidence indicates that pro-apoptotic proteins, primarily caspases, can stimulate proliferation in adjacent surviving cells for tissue repair.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of apoptosis-induced proliferation.
  • To explore the dual role of this process in tissue regeneration and cancer development.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on apoptosis and cell proliferation.
  • Analysis of mechanisms involving caspases in cell death and survival signaling.
  • Examination of models demonstrating "undead" cells and their proliferative signaling.

Main Results:

  • Apoptosis-induced proliferation is a conserved biological process with implications for tissue homeostasis.
  • Two distinct types of apoptosis-induced proliferation exist, differentiated by the caspases involved.
  • Inhibition of effector caspases can lead to "undead" cells that promote proliferation and potentially contribute to oncogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis-induced proliferation plays a vital role in stem cell activity and tissue regeneration.
  • Dysregulation of apoptosis-induced proliferation, particularly through "undead" cells, is linked to cancer pathogenesis.
  • Further research into apoptosis-induced proliferation mechanisms can inform therapeutic strategies for regenerative medicine and oncology.

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