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Programmed cell death and apoptosis: origins of the theory

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 2, pages 545–550 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Interest in the study of apoptosis grew with the recognition that it is a highly regulated process. Such a change in attitude allowed the intellectual and technical breakthroughs that led to the explosive development of this subject.

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Figure 1: Older images of cell death.
Figure 2: Apoptotic and other types of cell death in a metamorphosing weevil.
Figure 3: Scientists active since 1945 in the field of cell death.

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Acknowledgements

We thank D. Vaux for his generous sharing of his observations and material in preparation, and D. Tomei, J. Saunders, and J. Kerr for their helpful comments and photographs. The thoughts expressed here were generated under the auspices of an NIH grant to R.A.L. and one to St John's University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Biological Sciences, Saint John's University, 8,000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, 11439, New York, USA

    Richard A. Lockshin

  2. the Department of Biology, Queens College and Graduate Center of the City of New York University, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, 11367, New York, USA

    Zahra Zakeri

Authors
  1. Richard A. Lockshin
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  2. Zahra Zakeri
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Related links

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DATABASE LINKS

ced-3

bcl-2

p53

c-Myc

Fas/Apo-1

CED-9

caspase 8

caspase 9

CED-4

APAF-1

FURTHER INFORMATION

Lockshin lab

Zakeri lab

Mechnikov Nobel prize

Levi-Montalcini Nobel prize

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Lockshin, R., Zakeri, Z. Programmed cell death and apoptosis: origins of the theory. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2, 545–550 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35080097

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