All the ways a cell can die — and why the variety matters

TL;DR - Nature surveys the expanding variety of known cell-death mechanisms and their importance for understanding and treating disease. Researchers are exploring how these pathways could be harnessed against cancer and autoimmune conditions.

• Emerging discoveries are challenging established models of how cells survive and die.
• Cell death comprises multiple distinct mechanisms rather than a single process.
• The specific death pathway matters because it can shape disease progression and therapeutic response.
• The provided excerpt does not identify particular pathways, experiments, or clinical results.