Cell death and its relationship to viral infections: What are the ways to fight viruses?

Abstract

Cell death is a crucial process for maintaining homeostasis and the development of the organism. They are mainly characterized by apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, being complex processes and essences for the immune system and balance of the human organism, especially when there are infectious agents such as viruses. Therefore, a bibliographic review was carried out seeking to deepen the knowledge of cell death applied to viruses, and its possible action against COVID-19, demonstrating the action and importance of understanding and understanding cell death pathways and applying their results as therapeutic targets. The results obtained showed the individual action of cell deaths against the virus in the immune system and emphasized the understanding of cell death pathways as fundamental for the development of drugs and therapies for viral control for already known viruses and for new viruses, such as Covid -19.