Neurodegenerative disease is characterized by the progressive deterioration of neuronal function caused by the degeneration of synapses, axons, and ultimately the death of nerve cells. An increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying altered cellular homeostasis and neurodegeneration is critical to the development of effective treatments for disease. Here, we review what is known about neuronal cell death and how it relates to our understanding of neurodegenerative disease pathology. First, we discuss prominent molecular signaling pathways that drive neuronal loss, and highlight the upstream cell biology underlying their activation. We then address how neuronal death may occur during disease in response to neuron intrinsic and extrinsic stressors. An improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction and cell death will open up avenues for clinical intervention in a field lacking disease-modifying treatments.

中文翻译：

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细胞死亡和神经变性。

神经退行性疾病的特征在于由突触、轴突的退化以及最终神经细胞的死亡引起的神经元功能的进行性恶化。加深对改变细胞稳态和神经变性的机制的了解对于开发有效的疾病治疗方法至关重要。在这里，我们回顾了关于神经元细胞死亡的已知信息以及它与我们对神经退行性疾病病理学的理解之间的关系。首先，我们讨论了驱动神经元丢失的重要分子信号通路，并强调了它们激活背后的上游细胞生物学。然后，我们讨论了神经元在疾病期间如何因神经元内在和外在压力源而发生死亡。