Apoptosis in human disease: a new skin for the old ceremony?

Naturally occurring cell death or apoptosis is essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and serves to remove extraneous or dangerous cells in a swift and unobtrusive manner. Recent studies have indicated a role for apoptosis in a plethora of human diseases. Hence, dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in autoimmune disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other viral (and bacterial) infections, as well as in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Furthermore, dysregulated apoptosis signaling may impinge on other age-related disorders such as osteoporosis and atherosclerosis and perhaps on the process of aging itself. The present review provides an overview of human diseases, which are associated with defective or inadvertent apoptosis, with examples of pathological conditions in which putative apoptosis defects have been elucidated at the molecular level. Novel apoptosis-modulating therapeutic strategies are also discussed. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.