Research illuminates ‘programmed cell death’ process induced by a common toxin

ASU professor and team find that arsenite induces cell death and could lead to over inflammation Cells are the building blocks of our body and many other organisms. But did you know that sometimes cells need to die? This might sound surprising but is actually a very important process, called “cell suicide” or “programmed cell death,” for an organism to work properly. Arizona State University Professor Bertram Jacobs, his former postdoctoral researcher Mateusz Szczerba, PhD candidate Megan ya and other colleagues recently published a new article in the journal Science Signaling that provides new insight into the mechanism that leads to programmed cell death after exposure to arsenite, a common toxic chemical. Interestingly, this mechanism is similar to the one induced by a virus infection. Jacobs is a well-known virologist who has produced world-leading research on the vaccinia virus, a cousin of the smallpox virus. Cells are always on the lookout for intruders like...