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An Introduction to the Molecular Mechanisms of Apoptosis
Author(s) -
DELHALLE SYLVIE,
DUVOIX ANNELYSE,
SCHNEKENBURGER MICHAËL,
MORCEAU FRANCK,
DICATO MARIO,
DIEDERICH MARC
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1299.001
Subject(s) - apoptosis , programmed cell death , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , homeostasis , cell , uvb induced apoptosis , caspase , genetics
A bstract : Apoptosis is a type of cell death that has been observed and studied for more than a century. The process of apoptosis was described as “programmed cell death” in 1964, and the term apoptosis , from a Greek word meaning “to fall away from” and describing the fall of dead leaves from trees in autumn, was only coined in 1972. During the last 30 years, this type of cell death has been extensively investigated and the molecular mechanisms underlying this cell suicide well characterized. Apoptosis is a physiological phenomenon necessary to tissue and body genesis and homeostasis, but defects in its regulation may cause numerous diseases, including cancer. Investigating the mechanisms of apoptosis is thus important to discover new cellular regulators that could be potential targets for new death‐inducing drugs.