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.

ADDF awards $2.1 million grant for clinical study of cancer drug in Alzheimer's patients

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation announces a $2.1 million grant awarded to R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD, of Georgetown University Medical Center to conduct a phase II clinical trial of low-dose nilotinib (marketed as Tasigna for use as a cancer therapy) in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

29 Sep 2016

DGIST researchers uncover mechanisms that control appetite during low glucose conditions in the brain

Researchers from Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) in Korea have uncovered the mechanisms behind the enzyme that controls our appetite in response to low glucose availability in the brain.

24 Sep 2016

New study identifies potential therapeutic option for treatment of Huntington's disease

A new scientific study reveals one way to stop proteins from triggering an energy failure inside nerve cells during Huntington's disease. Huntington's disease is an inherited genetic disorder caused by mutations in the gene that encodes huntingtin protein.

14 Sep 2016

Cold plasma therapy may help treat non-healing wounds

Russian scientists at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Joint Institute for High Temperatures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Gamaleya Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology found that treating cells with cold plasma leads to their regeneration and rejuvenation.

13 Sep 2016

New study raises safety concerns on clinical use of caspase inhibitors for liver diseases

Many acute and chronic liver diseases, including alcoholic hepatitis, result from apoptotic (programmed) cell death mediated by the enzyme caspase. Caspase inhibitors have therapeutic potential to treat and prevent apoptosis-mediated liver injury, and some are currently in clinical trials.

9 Sep 2016

Multi-purpose protein may offer clues for successful treatment of Alzheimer's disease

The tidal wave approaches. In the coming decades, Alzheimer's disease is projected to exact a devastating economic and emotional toll on society, with patient numbers in the US alone expected to reach 13.5 million by mid-century at a projected cost of over a trillion dollars.

30 Aug 2016

UCSF researchers identify new strategy to cultivate beneficial energy-burning fat

UC San Francisco researchers studying beige fat — a calorie-burning tissue that can help to ward off obesity and diabetes — have discovered a new strategy to cultivate this beneficial blubber.

25 Aug 2016

Novel innovation could help scientists study new treatments for mitochondrial diseases

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences from the University of Missouri has succeeded in creating embryos with "heteroplasmy," or the presence of both maternal and paternal mitochondrial DNA.

23 Aug 2016

USC researchers discover two Zika proteins potentially responsible for microcephaly

USC researchers have tracked down two Zika proteins potentially responsible for thousands of microcephaly cases in Brazil and elsewhere — taking one small step toward preventing Zika-infected mothers from birthing babies with abnormally small heads.

11 Aug 2016

Pancreatic cancer cells find alternative source of nutrition to avoid starvation

Pancreatic cancer cells avert starvation in dense tumors by ordering nearby support cells to supply them with an alternative source of nutrition.

11 Aug 2016

Cutting off fuel to cancer cells may be potential therapeutic strategy for Kras-driven lung cancers

Research from investigators at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Princeton University has identified a new approach to cancer therapy in cutting off a cancer cell's 'fuel supply' by targeting a cellular survival mechanism known as autophagy.

11 Aug 2016

SBP board member donates $1M for researchers to study pancreatic and prostate cancer

Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) has received a $1M donation from The Epstein Family Foundation for scientists to study pancreatic and prostate cancer.

10 Aug 2016

Research paves way for development of new drugs to prevent cancer and Alzheimer's

A new generation of drugs that prevent cancer and Alzheimer's could be developed, thanks to research from the University of Warwick.

3 Aug 2016

New study identifies alternative route for tuberculosis infection

Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a new way that tuberculosis bacteria get into the body, revealing a potential therapeutic angle to explore.

22 Jul 2016

Study offers new hope for preventing chronic lung disease in premature infants

By triggering a process called autophagy -- in which cells literally engulf their own insides --researchers from Drexel University and Yale University were able to decrease lung injury in mice that were exposed to high concentrations of oxygen.

20 Jul 2016

Studying blood stored in plastic blood bags with Renishaw’s inVia™ Raman microscopy

The Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia, Canada, is leading the way in the use of Raman spectroscopy as a tool for monitoring biochemical changes and inter-donor variability in stored red blood cell (RBC) units.

19 Jul 2016

Study shows how dietary restriction impacts autophagy in intestine to increase lifespan

Dietary restriction, or limited food intake without malnutrition, has beneficial effects on longevity in many species, including humans. A new study from the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), published today in PLoS Genetics, represents a major advance in understanding how dietary restriction leads to these advantages.

15 Jul 2016

Researchers reveal molecular mechanism of autophagy initiation

Researchers revealed that Atg13 links autophagy initiation factors to each other using a string-like conformation, thereby promoting the association of diverse elements of the autophagy initiation machinery, initiating autophagosome formation through the recruitment of Atg9 vesicles and phosphorylation of various Atg factors.

12 Jul 2016

Sheffield researchers identify novel function of C9orf72 protein linked to ALS and FTD

Scientists from the University of Sheffield have discovered a novel function of the C9orf72 protein which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) - giving a new insight into the most common genetic cause of the degenerative diseases.

1 Jul 2016

Strengthening immune defence system may provide treatment alternative for tuberculosis

Researchers at Linköping University have made a discovery that could contribute to developing new vaccines and treatment alternatives for tuberculosis in the future. The results have been published in Scientific Reports, a sister journal to the highly respected periodical Nature.

27 Jun 2016

Autophagy News and Research

Further Reading

ADDF awards $2.1 million grant for clinical study of cancer drug in Alzheimer's patients

DGIST researchers uncover mechanisms that control appetite during low glucose conditions in the brain

New study identifies potential therapeutic option for treatment of Huntington's disease

Cold plasma therapy may help treat non-healing wounds

New study raises safety concerns on clinical use of caspase inhibitors for liver diseases

Multi-purpose protein may offer clues for successful treatment of Alzheimer's disease

UCSF researchers identify new strategy to cultivate beneficial energy-burning fat

Novel innovation could help scientists study new treatments for mitochondrial diseases

USC researchers discover two Zika proteins potentially responsible for microcephaly

Pancreatic cancer cells find alternative source of nutrition to avoid starvation

Cutting off fuel to cancer cells may be potential therapeutic strategy for Kras-driven lung cancers

SBP board member donates $1M for researchers to study pancreatic and prostate cancer

Research paves way for development of new drugs to prevent cancer and Alzheimer's

New study identifies alternative route for tuberculosis infection

Study offers new hope for preventing chronic lung disease in premature infants

Studying blood stored in plastic blood bags with Renishaw’s inVia™ Raman microscopy

Study shows how dietary restriction impacts autophagy in intestine to increase lifespan

Researchers reveal molecular mechanism of autophagy initiation

Sheffield researchers identify novel function of C9orf72 protein linked to ALS and FTD

Strengthening immune defence system may provide treatment alternative for tuberculosis

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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