A report from the 17th Euroconference on Apoptosis
Guy Karlebach, TAU
Guy will report on the "17th Euroconference on Apoptosis" took place
in Paris, France:
Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death (PCD) involving a
biochemical cascade including such proteins as Bcl-2, Bax, Apaf-1 or
apoptotic protease activating factor-1, caspases such as caspase-9,
caspase-3, and caspase-7, as well as proteins involved in digestion of
proteins, degradation of DNA, and phagocytosis. Apoptosis is a normal
cellular process and is essential for the proper development and
maintenance of the organism. It is also necessary for the destruction
of cells considered a threat such as cells have been infected with
viruses or sustained DNA damage, and its disruption is associated with
various diseases including AIDS and cancer.
Autophagy is a process in which portions of the cytoplasm are engulfed
by a specific membrane and digested by lysosomal enzymes. Several
links between autophagy and PCD have been discovered, including cross
talk with the apoptotic network and an additional pathway called
autophagic cell death. A third form of cell death called necrotic cell
death is related to inflammation and exhibits a distinct phenotype.
In this talk I present recent advances in PCD research and its
clinical applications, including a new form of PCD called Entosis.