Caspase-mediated Cell Death (Noun)
Meaning
A type of cell death in which the cell uses specialized cellular machinery to kill itself; a cell suicide mechanism that enables metazoans to control cell number and eliminate cells that threaten the animal's survival.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural phenomena.
Examples
- Caspase-mediated cell death is a critical process in development and tissue homeostasis, allowing for the elimination of excess or damaged cells.
- The dysregulation of caspase-mediated cell death has been implicated in various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases.
- Apoptosis, a form of caspase-mediated cell death, is characterized by a series of morphological changes, including cell shrinkage, chromatin condensation, and membrane blebbing.
- Caspase-mediated cell death pathways are tightly regulated by a complex interplay of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic signals, ensuring that cell death occurs only when necessary.
- The study of caspase-mediated cell death has led to the development of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating this process to treat diseases characterized by excessive or insufficient cell death.