Abstract

A conserved genetic pathway called apoptosis is essential for immune system development and homeostasis. Growth factor signalling has a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis throughout the early stages of lymphopoiesis by controlling the survival of lymphocyte progenitors. Apoptosis is crucial for removing cells with risky self-reactive specificities and for ensuring that lymphocytes during differentiation exhibit functioning antigen receptors. The BCL-2 family of proteins, which consists of both pro- and anti-apoptotic members and members of the tumor necrosis factor death receptor family, control many of these important cell death checkpoints throughout immunological development. Pathological diseases such as immunological dysfunction, autoimmune disease, and cancer can be brought on by aberrations in the expression or activity of these cell death modulators. How apoptosis controls these crucial regulatory points during immune development will be discussed in this review.