‘Reaper’ protein strikes at mitochondria to kill cells

Many billions of cells in the human body kill themselves every day, as the old and decrepit make way for the new and healthy. This process of programmed cell death, called apoptosis, is crucial in early development and in the routine maintenance of life. New research, conducted in the cells of fruit fly eyes, delves into the molecular complexity of the process and returns fresh insights about the proteins that initiate cell death. The results suggest a technique that could allow for highly efficient, targeted killing of problematic cells such as those that drive the uncontrolled growth of tumors.

Read the whole article on The Rockefeller University

More from The Rockefeller University