Autophagy News and Research

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Autophagy is a normal process in which a cell destroys proteins and other substances in its cytoplasm (the fluid inside the cell membrane but outside the nucleus), which may lead to cell death. Autophagy may prevent normal cells from developing into cancer cells, but it may also protect cancer cells by destroying anticancer drugs or substances taken up by them.

NIH researchers show how investigational drug works against rare, fatal genetic disease

Scientists have demonstrated how an investigational drug works against a rare, fatal genetic disease, Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1).

17 Jul 2017

Inhibition of cell receptors clears toxic proteins, cuts inflammation and improves cognition in animal models

Researchers have found cell receptors abnormally overexpressed in post-mortem brains of those with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and that they can be inhibited in animal models to clear toxic protein buildup, reduce brain inflammation, and improve cognitive performance.

17 Jul 2017

Malaria drug effectively blocks Zika virus transmission to the fetus

Devastating consequences of Zika virus infection are suffered in the womb, where the virus can cause brain damage and sometimes death.

10 Jul 2017

Could the mTOR pathway be used to protect against cancer?

The mTOR pathway is probably the main pathway in humans and other animals that drives growth. That is, the accumulation of mass and adding mass to make an organism bigger by both making more cells, and making cells grow and become bigger.

22 Jun 2017

Extra virgin olive oil protects memory and helps prevent Alzheimer’s

In a landmark judgment, the Court of Justice of the European Union, yesterday ruled that courts could consider vaccines to be the reason for an illness despite the absence of any concrete evidence to support the connection.

21 Jun 2017

Temple researchers identify protective effects of extra-virgin olive oil against Alzheimer's disease

The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia.

21 Jun 2017

Natural sugar may trigger immune system to treat atherosclerosis, study finds

Researchers have long sought ways to harness the body's immune system to treat disease, especially cancer.

7 Jun 2017

Researchers discover molecular signaling circuit that regulates autophagy

Autophagy is the recycling process by which our cells keep themselves young. They continually break down and renew small parts of themselves in a kind of self-digestion; this helps to counteract harmful deposits which may form.

1 Jun 2017

Study reveals how enzyme allows brain tumors to grow despite harsh surroundings

All cancer tumors have one thing in common – they must feed themselves to grow and spread, a difficult feat since they are usually in a tumor microenvironment with limited nutrients and oxygen.

26 May 2017

Researchers discover likely cause for visual impairment in Finnish variant of NCL

Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland have discovered a likely cause for visual impairment and eventual loss of vision in the Finnish variant of Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis.

17 May 2017

Scientists study cell’s reaction to Salmonella by visualizing protein chains at near-molecular level

With drug resistance being on the rise worldwide, bacterial infections pose one of the greatest global threats to human health. By deciphering the host-pathogen interaction on a molecular level, researchers hope to pave the way for new therapies.

10 May 2017

Researchers pinpoint gene that plays crucial role in formation of neural tube defects

Researchers have identified a gene that plays a key role in the formation of neural tube defects, a problem commonly found in infants of pregnant women with diabetes.

5 May 2017

Spermidine supplement may prolong lifespan, prevent liver fibrosis and cancer

Spermidine-; a compound found in foods like aged cheese, mushrooms, soy products, legumes, corn and whole grains-; seems to prevent (at least in animal models) liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common type of liver cancer. There is also some evidence that it may prolong lifespan, according to a study published recently in the journal Cancer Research.

20 Apr 2017

Brain cancer patient treated with malaria drug shows dramatic improvement

After her brain cancer became resistant to chemotherapy and then to targeted treatments, 26-year-old Lisa Rosendahl's doctors gave her only a few months to live.

19 Apr 2017

Researchers show how dengue virus employs multiple tactics to evade immune detection

For the human body to mount an immune response to a viral infection, host cells must identify the viral invader and trigger a signaling pathway. This signal then prompts the immune system to attack and subdue the pathogen.

19 Apr 2017

Scientists discover new role for autophagosomes in neurodegenerative diseases

Autophagosomes are at the center of attention, at least since the Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded for research on autophagy in 2016. The much talked about autophagosomes are small membrane vesicles in charge of waste disposal to promote recycling of its components.

11 Apr 2017

Study reveals potential new therapeutic approach to tackle infection by Legionella bacteria

The precise mechanism used by Legionella bacteria to escape the body's defences has been unpicked in intricate detail and is described for the first time in the journal eLife.

11 Apr 2017

Research finding could offer new way to fight deadly pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer, most frequently pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is the most lethal and aggressive of all cancers. Unfortunately, there are not many effective therapies available other than surgery, and that is not an option for many patients.

10 Apr 2017

Researchers discover key to reveal secret of reversible aging recovery

DGIST's research team discovered substances that can induce reversible aging* recovery and identified an aging recovery mechanism using these substances.

3 Apr 2017

Research provides insights on how pathogens escape process of autophagy

Our immune system has various ways to deal with threats from the outside like pathogens. One of the defence mechanisms is a process called autophagy.

3 Mar 2017