Advance Access publication September 9, 2010 Cell Death Mechanisms and Their Implications in Toxicology

Necrotic cell death was long regarded as the ultimate consequence of chemical toxicity and was thought to result from simple cell failure because of toxic interference with vital cell functions. Introduction of the novel concept of programmed cell death (PCD), or apoptosis, has changed this view dramatically. This development has been further stimulated by the character-ization of several other genetically PCD modalities, such as autophagy and pyroptosis. Like apoptosis, these modes of cel