Life and death in otolaryngology: mechanisms of apoptosis and its role in the pathology and treatment of disease.
OBJECTIVE
To review recent advances in our understanding of programmed cell death, or apoptosis, and discuss implications of these basic science advances in our understanding of causes and potential treatments of a variety of diseases of the head and neck.


METHODS
Basic science literature relevant to the study of apoptosis and its clinical implications.


CONCLUSIONS
Apoptosis is now understood to be important in the normal development and survival of all multicellular organisms. Deregulation of this normally tightly controlled process underlies a variety of disease states, including neoplasia, autoimmune disease, and disorders of the central nervous system. A better understanding of this process and its regulation may help otolaryngologists better understand diseases relevant to this specialty and will lead to improved therapeutic interventions.
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center and Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195, USA.
S P
SP
Mostafapour
D M
DM
Hockenbery
E W
EW
Rubel
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy