title: Dead Cert: Measuring Cell Death.
abstract: Many cells in the body die at specific times to facilitate healthy development or because they have become old, damaged, or infected. Defects in cells that result in their inappropriate survival or untimely death can negatively impact development or contribute to a variety of human pathologies, including cancer, AIDS, autoimmune disorders, and chronic infection. Cell death may also occur following exposure to environmental toxins or cytotoxic chemicals. Although this is often harmful, it can be beneficial in some cases, such as in the treatment of cancer. The ability to objectively measure cell death in a laboratory setting is therefore essential to understanding and investigating the causes and treatments of many human diseases and disorders. Often, it is sufficient to know the extent of cell death in a sample; however, the mechanism of death may also have implications for disease progression, treatment, and the outcomes of experimental investigations. There are a myriad of assays available for measuring the known forms of cell death, including apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, necroptosis, anoikis, and pyroptosis. Here, we introduce a range of assays for measuring cell death in cultured cells, and we outline basic techniques for distinguishing healthy cells from apoptotic or necrotic cells-the two most common forms of cell death. We also provide personal insight into where these assays may be useful and how they may or may not be used to distinguish apoptotic cell death from other death modalities.
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Brooke J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Marfell
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.
authors.forename: Adrian P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.|Agroparistech, Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Jeanne A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Boughaba
authors.affiliation: Flow Cytometry and Imaging, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chojnowski
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.|Flow Cytometry and Imaging, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.|Division of Immunology, Mater Pathology, Mater Adult Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101, Australia.
authors.forename: Melinda E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Apoptosis and Cytotoxicity Laboratory, Mater Research, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia.|Flow Cytometry and Imaging, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland 4006, Australia.|School of Medicine, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Nigel J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods*