One of the hallmarks of apoptosis is chromatin condensation. DAPI staining of human MCF7 breast cancer cells undergoing apoptosis. Cells were treated with 50 uM VP-16 for 0 days (left), 7 days (middle) and 7 days (right).

Apoptosis or Programed Cell Death is the process by which cells commit suicide. The program to apotose is present in all nucleated cells of multicellular organisms and probably the default state of a cell. In other words, if a cell does not receive a survival or growth signal it will go on and die. Apoptosis plays an important role in tissue homeostasis and a reduction in the rate of apotosis has been shown to contribute to tumor formation. It has also been suggested that a loss of the propensity to apoptose may contribute to drug resistance in cancer.

Faculty studying apoptosis:

  • Kathleen Kinnally: Mechanisms of energy transduction and metabolic control in mitochondria. Application of patch clamp techniques to mitochondrial 10 h channels in both nature membranes and reconstituted systems.
  • Erasmus Schneider: Novel mechanisms of multidrug resistance in cancer cells and apoptosis.

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    Last edited 2/28/97 scbwebmaster