Abstract

Bovin LF, Bendtzen K. Apoptose - programmeret celledød. Ugeskr Læg 1999;161:5778-82.

The health of multicellular organisms depends not only on the body's ability to produce new cells but also on controlled cell death. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is the opposite of mitosis. It is an active process for destruction of unwanted and superfluous cells. Changes in cell survival contribute to the pathogenesis of such varied disorders as cancer, many viral infections, neuropathies and immunopathies. The growing understanding of apoptosis forms the basis for development of new therapeutic strategies controlling cell death. This article describes mechanisms involved in the programmed cellular suicide.