Apoptosis in disease: about shortage and excess.
The death of cells by apoptosis is a fundamental event in development and the maintenance of cell homoeostasis. The other side of the coin, however, is that excessive cell death by apoptosis or the lack of apoptosis is often the driving force of many diseases. Whereas reduced apoptosis sensitivity is a basic characteristic of many tumour cells, accelerated tissue cell death and loss of tissue functions is the underlying cause of many auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.
Division of Immunopathology, Institute of Pathology, University of Bern, PO Box 62, Murtenstrasse 31, 3010 Bern, Switzerland. tbrunner@pathology.unibe.ch
Thomas
T
Brunner
Christoph
C
Mueller
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism