Apoptosis is a genetically controlled mode of cell death that may be the end result of response to physiologic activators, physical trauma, or environmental toxins and chemicals.
Apoptosis is essential for tissue development and remodeling, immune defense, and aging.
Apoptosis is also associated with a wide range of human pathological conditions, including systemic autoimmunity, cancer, AIDS, and neurodegenerative disorders. It is now well established that activation of proteases of the caspase family is the central mechanism in the execution of apoptosis. Cell death may also occur by non-apoptotic mechanisms independent of caspase activation, such as the classical necrotic cell death. We have demonstrated that apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell deaths involve the selective proteolytic cleavage of a specific subset of nuclear protein autoantigens. These autoantigens are self-cellular proteins that are targets of autoantibodies in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus and scleroderma.