Volume 446. Programmed Cell Death Part B

One of the major goals of researchers in the field of apoptosis is to identify targets for novel therapies in cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of the various components of the apoptotic pathways is the first step to reaching this goal. The 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Sydney Brenner (United Kingdom), H. Robert Horvitz (US) and John E. Sulston (UK) "for their discoveries concerning genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death." Cell death is a fundamental aspect of embryonic development, normal cellular turnover and maintenance of homeostasis (maintaining a stable, constant environment) on the one hand, and aging and disease on the other. This volume addresses the significant advances with the techniques that are being used to analyze cell death.