Essentials of apoptosis: A guide for basic and clinical research

Abstract

As a fundamental biological process, cell death and cell survival is essential to the normal homeostasis of the organism. Our knowledge on this process has been tremendously expanded in the past two decades. Essentials of Apoptosis: A Guide for Basic and Clinical Research was first published in 2003. It timely provided a comprehensive but concise summary of the essential information of apoptosis to both new investigators to the field and seasoned researchers seeking an integrated view of the topics. The past several years have witnessed significant new developments in the field of apoptosis and cell death in general. The concept of various types of cell death has been further developed. The studies in both basic and clinical disciplines have been greatly expanded. Notable progresses have been made in extending the work into the therapeutic arena. As a result, the field has matured considerably and developed extensive crosstalk with works in other fields. The second edition incorporates these new developments, in addition to the basic core concepts and machinery of apoptosis. Multiple new topics are added that expand the coverage on different types of cell death (apoptosis, necrosis, autophagic death and mitotic death), and on different death pathways (mediated by mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, death receptors, or lysosome). Furthermore, several integrated topics linking cell death to metabolism, redox status, transcription regulation are included and a systems biology approach to study apoptosis is introduced. Moreover, the roles of apoptosis and cell death in the pathogenesis of many human diseases in every major organ system are explored in details with novel therapeutic outlooks. This edition is the result of the hard work by more than 80 leading experts from across the world. Authoritative, comprehensive and highly instructive, the second edition of Essentials of Apoptosis should be valuable for both novice and seasoned investigators, as an informative reference as well as a practical guide.