Programmed Cell Death☆

During the development of the nervous system, there is a massive loss of undifferentiated and differentiating cells. This cell loss is a normal part of development, and it occurs by a highly regulated process known as programmed cell death (PCD). This article provides highlights of the history of our understanding of neuronal death, its function in the developing nervous system, the key regulation of the process by extra- and intracellular mechanisms, the potential relationship of PCD and cell death observed in pathology and neurodegenerative diseases and the discovery of new “programmed” pathways of non-apoptotic cell death.