Screening and detection of apoptosis.

Since programmed cell death was first described by the electron microscopic cellular changes demonstrating an organized form of cell death over 30 years ago, it has undergone a great deal of scrutiny as a potential target for several diseases including cancer. The techniques for the study of apoptosis have evolved accordingly. Methodologies for the study of apoptosis were examined by a MEDLINE search of the English-language literature and are summarized in this review. This review discusses the various ways to study apoptosis with specific assays, reagents, and molecules. The particular advantages and disadvantages of each method are reviewed.