Why study mechanisms of cell death?

Abstract

Cell death plays a variety of important roles in biology, both physiological and pathological. Physiological cell death is an important part of development, cell turnover and various aspects of immunological defenses. Pathological cell death is an element of some of the most important diseases plaguing modern society. Recent studies on the mechanisms of calcium-mediated cell death, thought to be important for both physiological and pathological cell death, have indicated that it is a multi-step process in which the cells are active participants, triggering their own self-destruction. Such mechanisms suggest the potential for pharmacological intervention, either to prevent disease-induced tissue death or to remove unwanted tissues.