ABSTRACT
Apoptosis is a controlled process of cell death, which is triggered by specific stimuli and is carried out by intracellular pathways. The outcome of this process is a decrease in cell size, fragmentation of the DNA, and ultimately uptake of the apoptotic cell by a phagocyte. In contrast, in necrosis the homeostatic mechanisms of a cell are disrupted, leading to swelling and eventually bursting of the necrotic cell with spillage of its contents into the surrounding microenvironment. A key aspect of apoptosis (as opposed to necrosis) is that it is a process controlled at several different levels, some of which are susceptible to therapeutic intervention designed to induce or inhibit the occurrence of cell death. Thus, knowledge of the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis and/or resolution of a disease may lead to novel therapeutic strategies aimed at modifying the course of that disease by manipulating the apoptotic process.
