Altered nuclear factor kappa-B activity and mercury-induced kidney tubule cell apoptosis: implications for renal failure.

The article highlighted in this issue is ‘Nuclear FactorB Activity Determines the Sensitivity of Kidney Epithelial Cellsto Apoptosis: Implications for Mercury-Induced Renal Failure,’by Francisco J. Dieguez-Acuña, William W. Polk, MaureenE. Ellis, P. Lynne Simmonds, John V. Kushleika, and James S.Woods. This article appeared in the November issue (pp. 114–123). The great power of understanding mechanisms of cell injury andcell death rests in providing valuable insights into how drugsand/or chemical agents may interact with target cell populationsto produce clinical disease (Fowler, 1987). Once these insightsare understood, they may