Apoptosis and Caspases in Neurodegenerative Diseases

A form of cell death called apoptosis is a prominent feature in a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, ranging from stroke to Huntington's disease. Hypoxia, toxic cytokines, damage to mitochondria, and noxious peptides are capable of inducing apoptosis; each of these mechanisms can account for the death of specific types of neurons in neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacologic interference with the induction or completion of apoptosis holds promise for the treatment of these disorders, and clinical trials with one such agent are already under way.