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.

Investigational cancer drug mimics the metabolic and therapeutic effects of fasting, mice study shows

An investigational cancer drug that starves tumors of their energy supply also shows evidence of improving whole body metabolism, according to a new study in mice from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

19 Jan 2022

Respiratory viruses lacking NS2 protein can be destroyed by the body's immune response

One viral protein could provide information to deter pneumonia causing the body's exaggerated inflammatory response to respiratory viruses, including the virus that causes COVID-19.

18 Jan 2022

Researchers identify new mechanism that impairs cancer cell proliferation and induces death

UAB and Vall d'Hebron researchers identified the mechanism by which inhibitors of the ERK5 protein kinase impair the proliferation of cancer cells and induce their death. The results, obtained using human cancer cell lines, demonstrate that ERK5 inhibition activates cytotoxic autophagy, a process that triggers cancer cell death, without affecting healthy cells. A combination of ERK5 inhibitors and chemotherapy could improve cancer treatment.

22 Dec 2021

Study uncovers new mechanism to explain how obesity jeopardizes the functions of skeletal muscle

A decline in metabolism and endurance of skeletal muscle is commonly observed in obese patients, but the underlying mechanism is not well-understood.

30 Nov 2021

Study provides a new target for therapeutic intervention in Parkinson's disease

In an unexpected discovery, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have identified what appears to be a significant vascular defect in patients with moderately severe Parkinson's disease.

14 Nov 2021

Study may pave the way for a more personalized approach to COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment

Using some of the most advanced molecular sequencing tools available to evaluate COVID-19 rapid autopsy tissues, researchers have identified four major regulatory pathways, specific molecular effectors behind COVID-19 symptoms, and differences that drive diverging clinical courses among individual patients.

11 Nov 2021

Study identifies serotonin as a possible trigger of flare-ups in Crohn's disease

A new treatment may be on the horizon for people with a major form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) called Crohn's disease, after a McMaster University-led study identified serotonin as a possible trigger of flare-ups.

6 Nov 2021

Study unravels how cells protect against influenza A viruses

Human cells use a protein named TBC1D5 to route influenza A viruses inside host cells for destruction, preventing the virus from spreading replicated copies of itself to other cells, according to a study published in Nature Microbiology.

28 Oct 2021

Can targeting autophagy become a new approach to COVID-19 treatment?

In a recent review, the author discusses autophagy as a contributing mechanism of selected drugs that are currently being evaluated to treat COVID‐19.

25 Oct 2021

Metabolic restoration as a therapeutic approach to promote natural immune protection against HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) particularly attacks CD4 lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell considered to be the conductor of the immune system.

15 Oct 2021

Review of COVID-19 clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, and genetics

A new review article investigates the clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, as well as human genetic basis associated with COVID-19.

27 Sep 2021

Discovery points toward a new strategy for treating Parkinson's disease

University of Utah Health scientists have identified a molecule that slows cells' production of alpha-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic aggregates in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease.

23 Sep 2021

Penn Medicine and Wistar secure $11.7 million SPORE grant for three melanoma research projects

Penn Medicine and The Wistar Institute have been awarded a prestigious $11.7 million Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, or SPORE, grant from the National Cancer Institute.

22 Sep 2021

Discovery points toward a new strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease

University of Utah Health scientists have identified a molecule that slows cells’ production of alpha-synuclein, a protein that forms toxic aggregates in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease.

21 Sep 2021

A protein found to be effective at reversing aging in skeletal muscle cells

A University at Buffalo-led research team has shown that a protein named for the mythical land of youth in Irish folklore is effective at reversing aging in skeletal muscle cells.

15 Sep 2021

Study finds possible direct connection between neurodegenerative diseases and the herpesvirus

A new study by researchers at University of Illinois Chicago suggests that when the protein optineurin, or OPTN, is present in cells it restricts the spread of HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus type 1.

13 Sep 2021

DNMT2/TRDMT1 gene knockout may potentiate adverse effects related to drug-induced senescence

Aging-US published "The lack of functional DNMT2/TRDMT1 gene modulates cancer cell responses during drug-induced senescence" which reported that cellular senescence may be a side effect of chemotherapy and other anti-cancer treatments that may promote inflammation and paracrine secondary senescence in healthy tissues.

31 Aug 2021

Can molecular mimicry impact fertility in female COVID-19 patients?

There exists a possibility that COVID-19 can also affect the reproductive function in the body, which can lead to infertility in infected patients. A study published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology explored the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on reproductive functions and fertility.

30 Aug 2021

Researchers create a novel strategy for developing an effective TB vaccine

Innovators at Purdue University and Houston Methodist Research Institute have created a novel strategy for developing an effective vaccine for a widespread form of tuberculosis.

20 Aug 2021

Flagging potential molecular predictors of response to biological therapies in ulcerative colitis

Several individuals suffering from bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis fail to respond to conventionally used biologic therapies.

3 Aug 2021