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Journal ArticleDOI

Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of disease

10 Mar 1995-Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science)-Vol. 267, Iss: 5203, pp 1456-1462
TL;DR: In multicellular organisms, homeostasis is maintained through a balance between cell proliferation and cell death, and recent evidence suggests that alterations in cell survival contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases.
Abstract: In multicellular organisms, homeostasis is maintained through a balance between cell proliferation and cell death. Although much is known about the control of cell proliferation, less is known about the control of cell death. Physiologic cell death occurs primarily through an evolutionarily conserved form of cell suicide termed apoptosis. The decision of a cell to undergo apoptosis can be influenced by a wide variety of regulatory stimuli. Recent evidence suggests that alterations in cell survival contribute to the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases, including cancer, viral infections, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Treatments designed to specifically alter the apoptotic threshold may have the potential to change the natural progression of some of these diseases.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
25 May 2012-Cell
TL;DR: This paper identified the small molecule ferrostatin-1 as a potent inhibitor of ferroptosis in cancer cells and glutamate-induced cell death in organotypic rat brain slices, suggesting similarities between these two processes.

7,192 citations


Cites background from "Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and t..."

  • ...Cell death is crucial for normal development, homeostasis, and the prevention of hyperproliferative diseases such as cancer (Fuchs and Steller, 2011; Thompson, 1995)....

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  • ...It was once thought that almost all regulated cell death in mammalian cells resulted from the activation of caspase-dependent apoptosis (Fuchs and Steller, 2011; Thompson, 1995)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review discusses the synthetic chemistry, fluid stabilization and surface modification of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, as well as their use for above biomedical applications.

6,207 citations


Cites background from "Apoptosis in the pathogenesis and t..."

  • ...Apoptosis is an active process of cellular self-destruction that plays an important role in number of disorders including neurodegenerative diseases, cerebral and myocardial ischaemia and organ rejection following transplant [227]....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
28 Aug 1998-Science
TL;DR: Apoptosis is a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number in tissues and to eliminate individual cells that threaten the animal's survival.
Abstract: Apoptosis is a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number in tissues and to eliminate individual cells that threaten the animal's survival. Certain cells have unique sensors, termed death receptors, on their surface. Death receptors detect the presence of extracellular death signals and, in response, they rapidly ignite the cell's intrinsic apoptosis machinery.

5,968 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
24 Nov 1995-Science
TL;DR: The effects of dominant-interfering or constitutively activated forms of various components of the JNK-p38 and ERK signaling pathways demonstrated that activation of JNK and p38 and concurrent inhibition of ERK are critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells.
Abstract: Apoptosis plays an important role during neuronal development, and defects in apoptosis may underlie various neurodegenerative disorders. To characterize molecular mechanisms that regulate neuronal apoptosis, the contributions to cell death of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase family members, including ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), JNK (c-JUN NH2-terminal protein kinase), and p38, were examined after withdrawal of nerve growth factor (NGF) from rat PC-12 pheochromocytoma cells. NGF withdrawal led to sustained activation of the JNK and p38 enzymes and inhibition of ERKs. The effects of dominant-interfering or constitutively activated forms of various components of the JNK-p38 and ERK signaling pathways demonstrated that activation of JNK and p38 and concurrent inhibition of ERK are critical for induction of apoptosis in these cells. Therefore, the dynamic balance between growth factor-activated ERK and stress-activated JNK-p38 pathways may be important in determining whether a cell survives or undergoes apoptosis.

5,398 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
28 Aug 1998-Science
TL;DR: Bcl-2 and related cytoplasmic proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, the cell suicide program critical for development, tissue homeostasis, and protection against pathogens.
Abstract: Bcl-2 and related cytoplasmic proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, the cell suicide program critical for development, tissue homeostasis, and protection against pathogens. Those most similar to Bcl-2 promote cell survival by inhibiting adapters needed for activation of the proteases (caspases) that dismantle the cell. More distant relatives instead promote apoptosis, apparently through mechanisms that include displacing the adapters from the pro-survival proteins. Thus, for many but not all apoptotic signals, the balance between these competing activities determines cell fate. Bcl-2 family members are essential for maintenance of major organ systems, and mutations affecting them are implicated in cancer.

5,380 citations

References
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Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: It has proved feasible to categorize most if not all dying cells into one or the other of two discrete and distinctive patterns of morphological change, which have, generally, been found to occur under disparate but individually characteristic circumstances.
Abstract: Publisher Summary The classification of cell death can be based on morphological or biochemical criteria or on the circumstances of its occurrence. Currently, irreversible structural alteration provides the only unequivocal evidence of death; biochemical indicators of cell death that are universally applicable have to be precisely defined and studies of cell function or of reproductive capacity do not necessarily differentiate between death and dormant states from which recovery may be possible. It has also proved feasible to categorize most if not all dying cells into one or the other of two discrete and distinctive patterns of morphological change, which have, generally, been found to occur under disparate but individually characteristic circumstances. One of these patterns is the swelling proceeding to rupture of plasma and organelle membranes and dissolution of organized structure—termed “coagulative necrosis.” It results from injury by agents, such as toxins and ischemia, affects cells in groups rather than singly, and evokes exudative inflammation when it develops in vivo. The other morphological pattern is characterized by condensation of the cell with maintenance of organelle integrity and the formation of surface protuberances that separate as membrane-bounded globules; in tissues, these are phagocytosed and digested by resident cells, there being no associated inflammation.

7,417 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
04 Mar 1993-Nature
TL;DR: Tight genetic linkage between FALS and a gene that encodes a cytosolic, Cu/Zn-binding superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a homodimeric metalloenzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of the toxic superoxide anion O–2 to O2 and H2O2 is reported.
Abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. Its cause is unknown and it is uniformly fatal, typically within five years. About 10% of cases are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, with high penetrance after the sixth decade. In most instances, sporadic and autosomal dominant familial ALS (FALS) are clinically similar. We have previously shown that in some but not all FALS pedigrees the disease is linked to a genetic defect on chromosome 21q (refs 8, 9). Here we report tight genetic linkage between FALS and a gene that encodes a cytosolic, Cu/Zn-binding superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a homodimeric metalloenzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of the toxic superoxide anion O2.- to O2 and H2O2 (ref. 10). Given this linkage and the potential role of free radical toxicity in other neurodenegerative disorders, we investigated SOD1 as a candidate gene in FALS. We identified 11 different SOD1 missense mutations in 13 different FALS families.

6,733 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
27 Aug 1993-Cell
TL;DR: Overexpressed Bax accelerates apoptotic death induced by cytokine deprivation in an IL-3-dependent cell line and counters the death repressor activity of B cl-2, suggesting a model in which the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax determines survival or death following an apoptotic stimulus.

6,193 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Nov 1990-Nature
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that Bcl-2 is an integral inner mitochondrial membrane protein of relative molecular mass 25,000 (25k) being localized to mitochondria and interfering with programmed cell death independent of promoting cell division.
Abstract: The t(14; 18) chromosomal translocation of human follicular B-cell lymphoma juxtaposes the bcl-2 gene with the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus. The bcl-2 immunoglobulin fusion gene is markedly deregulated resulting in inappropriately elevated levels of bcl-2 RNA and protein. Transgenic mice bearing a bcl-2 immunoglobulin minigene demonstrate a polyclonal expansion of resting yet responsive IgM-IgD B cells which display prolonged cell survival but no increase in cell cycling. Moreover, deregulated bcl-2 extends the survival of certain haematopoietic cell lines following growth-factor deprivation. By using immunolocalization studies we now demonstrate that Bcl-2 is an integral inner mitochondrial membrane protein of relative molecular mass 25,000 (25k). Overexpression of Bcl-2 blocks the apoptotic death of a pro-B-lymphocyte cell line. Thus, Bcl-2 is unique among proto-oncogenes, being localized to mitochondria and interfering with programmed cell death independent of promoting cell division.

3,773 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
22 Oct 1993-Cell
TL;DR: A model in which Bcl-2 regulates an antioxidant pathway at sites of free radical generation is proposed in which it protected cells from H2O2- and menadione-induced oxidative deaths and suppressed lipid peroxidation completely.

3,452 citations