A proper balance between cell death and survival is intricately required for the homeostasis of the human body. Dysfunctional perturbation of this equilibrium is generally implicated in human diseases. In some cases, as in cancer, cells usually become intrinsically resistant to death mechanisms, contributing to tumor proliferation. By contrast, other pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases, are characterized by the death of brain cell populations, which translates into a variety of clinical manifestations or death.
The incidence and prevalence of these diseases have been dramatically increasing, not only greatly affecting patients’ quality of life but also representing a strong economic and health concern for the whole of society.
Despite the increasing knowledge of the involvement of abnormal cell death in human diseases, the mechanisms behind such conditions and how they can be efficiently modulated remain far from being truly elucidated. For instance, in some cases, as in cancer, positive modulation of cell death represents a desired strategy, as a way of removing cancer cells or preventing their proliferation. By contrast, in other human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, prevention of cell death may arise as a strategy to delay the onset of such conditions or even to soften their clinical manifestations.
As such, a deeper characterization and mechanistic elucidation of novel or uncharacterized cell death modulators would provide an extra level of knowledge that may help define alternative visions to restore human health in distinct, unrelated diseases. This represents, therefore, a hot topic that requires deeper elucidation.
In this Research Topic, we plan to provide a breakthrough on emerging modulators of cell death and their mechanisms, which may specify scientific research-based knowledge and potential alternatives to restore health or prevent disease. Original Research, (Mini-)Reviews, Brief Research Reports, Commentaries, and Opinion articles, focusing on the following subtopics and related subjects, are welcome:
- Mechanisms of interaction between modulators and uncharacterized cell targets involved in abnormal cell death regulation;
- Novel positive modulators of cell death and their mechanisms of action, which may show potential for cancer treatment;
- Novel negative modulators of cell death and their mechanisms of action, which, by preventing cell death, may show potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the death of specific cell populations;
- New methods and models to mechanistically explore cell death modulators.
A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions can be found at this
link.
