Apoptosis: to Die or to Live? A Holistic Review
Discuss this preprint
Start a discussion What are Sciety discussions?Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a highly regulated cellular process required for embryonic development, immune tolerance, and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant apoptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of cancer, autoimmune disease, neurodegeneration, and viral infections including COVID-19. Over the past two decades, our understanding of apoptotic pathways has evolved to include not only intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms but also caspase-independent and immunologically regulated processes. This review synthesizes the morphological hallmarks, signaling pathways, regulatory networks, and therapeutic implications of apoptosis, highlighting emerging insights into cross-talk with necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis.