Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis
12:55

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

Death from inside out: an overview

A H Wyllie1

  • 1Department of Pathology, University Medical School, Edinburgh, U.K.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|August 30, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, is crucial for development and its widespread role is now recognized. Dysregulation of apoptosis contributes to major diseases like cancer and AIDS.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Programmed cell death, termed apoptosis, has been recognized for decades.
  • Recent research highlights the extensive involvement of apoptosis in biological processes.
  • Apoptosis is characterized by specific structural features and effector mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the ubiquity and significance of apoptosis.
  • To connect apoptosis to familiar oncogenes and oncosuppressor genes.
  • To underscore the role of apoptosis dysregulation in disease pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Structural definition of apoptosis.
  • Identification of genetic drivers of apoptosis, including oncogenes and oncosuppressor genes.
  • Analysis of the consequences of apoptosis dysregulation.

Main Results:

  • Apoptosis is a fundamental and widespread biological process.
  • Apoptosis is genetically regulated by key cancer-related genes.
  • Disruption of apoptosis is linked to significant diseases.

Conclusions:

  • Apoptosis is a vital, universally occurring process in development and health.
  • Understanding apoptosis mechanisms is critical for disease research.
  • Targeting apoptosis pathways offers potential therapeutic strategies for cancer and AIDS.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Cytokine-Induced Cell Death in Human Colonic Organoids Using Live Fluorescence Microscopy10:03

Quantification of Cytokine-Induced Cell Death in Human Colonic Organoids Using Live Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: August 2, 2024

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation06:12

LPS and ATP-induced Death of PMA-differentiated THP-1 Macrophages and its Validation

Published on: May 3, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Cell Death01:30

Overview of Cell Death

Cell death is an essential process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells. Cell proliferation and death need to be balanced, as an imbalance between the two may lead to cancer or autoimmune diseases.
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the 20th century...
Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:17

The Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

The extrinsic apoptotic pathway is initiated when extracellular death-inducing signals, such as specific cytokines, activate the death receptors expressed on the cell surface. The immune cells involved in this pathway are natural killer cells (NK cells) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. NK cells are critical in innate immune response, while cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are associated with adaptive immune response. These cells recognize specific receptors expressed on the altered cells and activate...
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway01:31

The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway

Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
Autophagic Cell Death01:18

Autophagic Cell Death

Christian de Duve discovered “autophagy,” a process in which cellular components are engulfed by membrane-bound organelles called autophagosomes. The autophagosomes then fuse with lysosomes to digest the enclosed contents. Autophagy is generally activated in cells to prevent cell death. However, cell death is triggered when the damage is beyond repair.
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying01:21

Kubler Ross's Stages of Dying

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross significantly advanced psychology's understanding of the process of dying with her influential book, On Death and Dying (1969). She focused on studying terminally ill individuals and outlined five stages commonly experienced when coping with death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
In denial, individuals reject the reality of their condition, often thinking, "This isn't true; I feel fine," as a way to protect themselves from emotional distress. Anger...