Clearance of apoptotic cells - Mechanisms and consequences

Abstract

Cells undergo apoptosis in development, tissue homeostasis, and disease and are subsequently cleared by professional and nonprofessional phagocytes in a multistep process. In this chapter, we first break down the clearance process into its components and then show that there is now overwhelming evidence that phagocyte function is profoundly altered following apoptotic cell uptake as well as mounting evidence that clearance defects are responsible for chronic inflammatory disease and contribute to autoimmunity. Finally, we illustrate some examples of the contribution of apoptotic cell clearance to host-pathogen and host-tumor interactions. This establishes the important potential of harnessing apoptotic cell-induced immune activation to manipulate the immune response for therapeutic gain.