Bucket lists must be completed during cell death

Regulated cell death occurs in many forms, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis, and NETosis. Most obviously, the purpose of these pathways is to kill the cell. However, many cells need to complete a set of effector programs before they die, which we define as a cellular ‘bucket list’. These effector programs are specific to the cell type, and mode and circumstances of death. For example, intestinal epithelial cells need to complete the process of extrusion before they die. Cells use regulatory mechanisms to temporarily prolong their life, including endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)- and acid sphingomyelinase (ASM)-driven membrane repair. These allow cells to complete their bucket lists before they die.