The Intersection Of Apoptosis And Necrosis

Question 1

When can apoptosis become a pathologic event?

Answer 1

When diseased cells become damaged beyond repair and are eliminated

Question 2

Give an example of when Apoptosis and Necrosis may co-exist in a pathologic event

Answer 2

Infarction - major involvement of apoptotic and necrotic cell death

Question 3

What are the implications of having both necrosis and apoptosis during infarction (Necrotosis)

Answer 3

1. Necrosis will initiate the inflammatory response whilst apoptosis won’t
2. We can control apoptosis much better than we can control necrosis (there are wider possibilities for improvement in therapy)

Hence we have a way to control cell death with a mechanism which activates innate immunity - we have a way to amplify the immune responce

Question 4

What may studies about the point of no return between cell injury and cell death help us with?

Answer 4

To understand the important changes and possibly lead to interventions to reverse the injury