Ananth A¹*, Naveenkumar Rajendran² and Uma Devi A³

¹Department of Microbiology, Srinivasan College of Arts and Science, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India
²School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
³Department of Microbiology, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College for Women (Autonomous), Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India
a

*Corresponding Author:Ananth A, Department of Microbiology, Srinivasan College of Arts and Science, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India.

Received: December 09, 2025; Published: March 31, 2026

Abstract

Background: In recent times, there has been a significant increase in studies investigating the mechanisms of microbe-induced host cell death. In addition, pathogens employ several strategies to manipulate host cell death pathways to aid their survival and spread.

Objective: We have described key differences and similarities between the mechanisms used by microbial pathogens to induce apoptotic or anti-apoptotic effects on host cells.

Review: In this review, these mechanisms were investigated by comparing apoptotic pathways in host cells infected with obligate intracellular, facultative intracellular and extracellular microbes (including bacterial, viral and fungal).

Conclusion: This review paper summarizes what we know recently know about the role of apoptosis in response to a range of microbial infections and examines how cell death pathways may influence immunity against pathogens. However, since apoptosis is also involved in host defense mechanisms against infectious agents, this phenomenon plays an important role in host-pathogen interactions. As apoptosis is a fundamental process in response to such microbial infections, it may be a therapeutic target for the treatment.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Pathogenesis; Microbial Infection; Defence Mecahnisms

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Citation

Citation: Ananth A., et al. “An Overview of Apoptosis in Microbial Infections: Novel Therapeutic Implications and Challenges in Pathogenesis". Acta Scientific Microbiology 9.4 (2026): 03-11.

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Copyright: © 2026 Ananth A., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.