Cell Death, by Any Other Name…

Studies trying to understand cell death, this ultimate biological process, can be traced back to a century ago. Yet, unlike many other fashionable research interests, research on cell death is more alive than ever. New modes of cell death are discovered in specific contexts, as are new molecular pat...

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Main Author: Mustapha Kandouz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-02-01
Series:Cells
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/325
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author Mustapha Kandouz
author_facet Mustapha Kandouz
author_sort Mustapha Kandouz
collection DOAJ
description Studies trying to understand cell death, this ultimate biological process, can be traced back to a century ago. Yet, unlike many other fashionable research interests, research on cell death is more alive than ever. New modes of cell death are discovered in specific contexts, as are new molecular pathways. But what is “cell death”, really? This question has not found a definitive answer yet. Nevertheless, part of the answer is irreversibility, whereby cells can no longer recover from stress or injury. Here, we identify the most distinctive features of different modes of cell death, focusing on the executive final stages. In addition to the final stages, these modes can differ in their triggering stimulus, thus referring to the initial stages. Within this framework, we use a few illustrative examples to examine how intercellular communication factors in the demise of cells. First, we discuss the interplay between cell–cell communication and cell death during a few steps in the early development of multicellular organisms. Next, we will discuss this interplay in a fully developed and functional tissue, the gut, which is among the most rapidly renewing tissues in the body and, therefore, makes extensive use of cell death. Furthermore, we will discuss how the balance between cell death and communication is modified during a pathological condition, i.e., colon tumorigenesis, and how it could shed light on resistance to cancer therapy. Finally, we briefly review data on the role of cell–cell communication modes in the propagation of cell death signals and how this has been considered as a potential therapeutic approach. Far from vainly trying to provide a comprehensive review, we launch an invitation to ponder over the significance of cell death diversity and how it provides multiple opportunities for the contribution of various modes of intercellular communication.
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spelling doaj.art-d1cd7639a83e4edb9db677d847c0e2f62024-02-23T15:11:53ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092024-02-0113432510.3390/cells13040325Cell Death, by Any Other Name…Mustapha Kandouz0Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI 48201, USAStudies trying to understand cell death, this ultimate biological process, can be traced back to a century ago. Yet, unlike many other fashionable research interests, research on cell death is more alive than ever. New modes of cell death are discovered in specific contexts, as are new molecular pathways. But what is “cell death”, really? This question has not found a definitive answer yet. Nevertheless, part of the answer is irreversibility, whereby cells can no longer recover from stress or injury. Here, we identify the most distinctive features of different modes of cell death, focusing on the executive final stages. In addition to the final stages, these modes can differ in their triggering stimulus, thus referring to the initial stages. Within this framework, we use a few illustrative examples to examine how intercellular communication factors in the demise of cells. First, we discuss the interplay between cell–cell communication and cell death during a few steps in the early development of multicellular organisms. Next, we will discuss this interplay in a fully developed and functional tissue, the gut, which is among the most rapidly renewing tissues in the body and, therefore, makes extensive use of cell death. Furthermore, we will discuss how the balance between cell death and communication is modified during a pathological condition, i.e., colon tumorigenesis, and how it could shed light on resistance to cancer therapy. Finally, we briefly review data on the role of cell–cell communication modes in the propagation of cell death signals and how this has been considered as a potential therapeutic approach. Far from vainly trying to provide a comprehensive review, we launch an invitation to ponder over the significance of cell death diversity and how it provides multiple opportunities for the contribution of various modes of intercellular communication.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/325apoptosisnecrosisautophagynecroptosisferroptosispyroptosis
spellingShingle Mustapha Kandouz
Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
Cells
apoptosis
necrosis
autophagy
necroptosis
ferroptosis
pyroptosis
title Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
title_full Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
title_fullStr Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
title_full_unstemmed Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
title_short Cell Death, by Any Other Name…
title_sort cell death by any other name
topic apoptosis
necrosis
autophagy
necroptosis
ferroptosis
pyroptosis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/13/4/325
work_keys_str_mv AT mustaphakandouz celldeathbyanyothername