Kern, C;
Bonventre, JV;
Justin, AW;
Kashani, K;
Reynolds, E;
Siew, K;
Davis, B;
... Bailey, DM; + view all
(2025)
Necrosis as a fundamental driver of loss of resilience and biological decline: what if we could intervene?
Oncogene
, 44
(24)
pp. 1893-1904.
10.1038/s41388-025-03431-y.
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Siew_Nature Onco_Necrosis.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 30 November 2025. Download (919kB) |
Abstract
Necrosis is uncontrolled cell death that marks the irreversible threshold of biological degeneration. Rooted in the Greek nekros (death), it is a pivotal mechanism underlying numerous diseases, including cancer, as well as renal, cardiac, neuronal, and hepatic disorders, and more broadly, the aging process. Despite its profound impact on morbidity and mortality, necrosis remains untreatable and has long been viewed as a chaotic, unavoidable aspect of biology. This review examines the mechanisms of necrosis and outlines its far-reaching impact on health, as revealed by emerging evidence. Furthermore, we explore its potential as a game-changing therapeutic target. Inhibiting necrosis could revolutionize treatments for acute and chronic age-related conditions like cancer, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks and strokes), and neurodegeneration, while also preserving resilience—and even slowing aging itself. Beyond Earth, where microgravity, cosmic radiation, and oxidative stress accelerate cellular decline, targeting necrosis may also hold the key to preserving astronaut resilience and health on long-duration space missions, offering insights that could reshape human longevity both on and off the planet.
Type: | Article |
---|---|
Title: | Necrosis as a fundamental driver of loss of resilience and biological decline: what if we could intervene? |
Location: | England |
DOI: | 10.1038/s41388-025-03431-y |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-025-03431-y |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
Keywords: | Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Oncology, Cell Biology, Genetics & Heredity, OXIDATIVE-NITROSATIVE STRESS, NONAPOPTOTIC CELL-DEATH, MOLECULAR-MECHANISMS, ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE, GLIOBLASTOMA CELLS, TUMOR OXYGENATION, ISCHEMIC-INJURY, ROCK INHIBITOR, DOUBLE-BLIND, APOPTOSIS |
UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine > Renal Medicine |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211427 |
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