Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Part I General Principles of Cell Death
- Part II Cell Death in Tissues and Organs
- 11 Cell Death in Nervous System Development and Neurological Disease
- 12 Role of Programmed Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Disease
- 13 Implications of Nitrosative Stress-Induced Protein Misfolding in Neurodegeneration
- 14 Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Neural Cell Death in Cerebral Ischemia
- 15 Cell Death in Spinal Cord Injury – An Evolving Taxonomy with Therapeutic Promise
- 16 Apoptosis and Homeostasis in the Eye
- 17 Cell Death in the Inner Ear
- 18 Cell Death in the Olfactory System
- 19 Contribution of Apoptosis to Physiologic Remodeling of the Endocrine Pancreas and Pathophysiology of Diabetes
- 20 Apoptosis in the Physiology and Diseases of the Respiratory Tract
- 21 Regulation of Cell Death in the Gastrointestinal Tract
- 22 Apoptosis in the Kidney
- 23 Physiologic and Pathological Cell Death in the Mammary Gland
- 24 Therapeutic Targeting Apoptosis in Female Reproductive Biology
- 25 Apoptotic Signaling in Male Germ Cells
- 26 Cell Death in the Cardiovascular System
- 27 Cell Death Regulation in Muscle
- 28 Cell Death in the Skin
- 29 Apoptosis and Cell Survival in the Immune System
- 30 Cell Death Regulation in the Hematopoietic System
- 31 Apoptotic Cell Death in Sepsis
- 32 Host–Pathogen Interactions
- Part III Cell Death in Nonmammalian Organisms
- Plate section
- References
29 - Apoptosis and Cell Survival in the Immune System
from Part II - Cell Death in Tissues and Organs
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2011
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Part I General Principles of Cell Death
- Part II Cell Death in Tissues and Organs
- 11 Cell Death in Nervous System Development and Neurological Disease
- 12 Role of Programmed Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Disease
- 13 Implications of Nitrosative Stress-Induced Protein Misfolding in Neurodegeneration
- 14 Mitochondrial Mechanisms of Neural Cell Death in Cerebral Ischemia
- 15 Cell Death in Spinal Cord Injury – An Evolving Taxonomy with Therapeutic Promise
- 16 Apoptosis and Homeostasis in the Eye
- 17 Cell Death in the Inner Ear
- 18 Cell Death in the Olfactory System
- 19 Contribution of Apoptosis to Physiologic Remodeling of the Endocrine Pancreas and Pathophysiology of Diabetes
- 20 Apoptosis in the Physiology and Diseases of the Respiratory Tract
- 21 Regulation of Cell Death in the Gastrointestinal Tract
- 22 Apoptosis in the Kidney
- 23 Physiologic and Pathological Cell Death in the Mammary Gland
- 24 Therapeutic Targeting Apoptosis in Female Reproductive Biology
- 25 Apoptotic Signaling in Male Germ Cells
- 26 Cell Death in the Cardiovascular System
- 27 Cell Death Regulation in Muscle
- 28 Cell Death in the Skin
- 29 Apoptosis and Cell Survival in the Immune System
- 30 Cell Death Regulation in the Hematopoietic System
- 31 Apoptotic Cell Death in Sepsis
- 32 Host–Pathogen Interactions
- Part III Cell Death in Nonmammalian Organisms
- Plate section
- References
Summary
Apoptosis is essential in the generation and function of the immune system. Many of the millions of T and B cells that are produced daily in the primary lymphoid organs are destined to die after a sorting process that keeps only cells that meet strict selection criteria. Successful cells receive a survival signal and emigrate to the periphery, where they will become the many soldiers that protect the organism against viruses, bacteria, and other unfriendly agents. In response to infection or immunization, antigen-specific cells become activated and proliferate, and some differentiate into effector cells. When the infection battle is won, most of these cells are eliminated by apoptosis to prevent their accumulation and the potential problems that it would cause. Defects in the apoptotic process in the hematopoietic system can promote autoimmunity, whereas too much apoptosis promotes lymphopenia and immunodeficiency. This review focuses on the two main pathways of apoptosis and their specific roles during the development and the function of the main cell populations of the immune system.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- ApoptosisPhysiology and Pathology, pp. 333 - 349Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2011