Lysosomes News and Research

RSS

Faulty cellular recycling may link pulmonary arterial hypertension to brain damage

A commentary in The Journal of Clinical Investigation examines evidence linking pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to cerebellar abnormalities, focusing on impaired lysosomal lipid metabolism, oxysterol accumulation, and microglial inflammation. Findings from human imaging, mouse models, and cultured cells suggest that NCOA7 may help protect against these changes, although the proposed mechanisms and therapeutic implications require further investigation.

4 Nov 2026

New host target identified to block hepatitis E virus

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute viral hepatitis, yet antiviral treatment remains largely limited to the off-label use of ribavirin. Ribavirin can cause substantial toxicity, is contraindicated during pregnancy and does not reliably benefit every patient.

29 Oct 2026

Targeting lipophagy could help treat metabolic and oxidative stress-related diseases

A review published in Genes & Diseases highlights lipophagy, the cellular process that selectively breaks down lipid droplets, as a potentially important therapeutic target for conditions driven by disrupted lipid metabolism and oxidative stress.

12 Oct 2026

Scientists discover molecular pathway that controls cellular waste recycling

For years, TFEB has been regarded as one of the most promising therapeutic targets for restoring the cell's ability to clear and recycle waste.

30 Sep 2026

Anti-fibrotic compound alters cell communication by redirecting cellular packages

An experimental anti-fibrotic compound can dramatically alter how cells release the microscopic packages they use to communicate, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

30 Sep 2026

Microplastics impair liver function and increase fat in mice

Microplastics appear capable of significantly impairing the function of phagocytes in the liver, at least in mice. In turn, this disrupts the metabolism of this vital organ and increases the build-up of fat inside it.

29 Sep 2026

Existing drug helps bladder cells destroy hidden urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are among the most common bacterial infections, caused mostly by the uropathogenic bacterium Escherichia coli. But even after antibiotic treatment, a large number of patients experience another UTI.

25 Sep 2026

Advances in chemistry and delivery are taking oligonucleotide medicines beyond rare diseases

A review in Cell Reports Medicine examines how advances in oligonucleotide chemistry and delivery have established ASOs and RNA interference therapies as a class of genetic medicines, with 21 oligonucleotides approved at the time of writing. It also identifies extrahepatic delivery, safety, target validation, individualized treatment, and data quality as priorities as the field expands into common diseases and explores AI-assisted development.

24 Sep 2026

Microglial differences found in genetic and sporadic frontotemporal dementia patients

A study by the University of Eastern Finland revealed for the first time clear differences in the function and gene expression of microglial cells from patients with genetic and sporadic types of frontotemporal dementia.

20 Aug 2026

Youth-associated protein reverses age-related microglial changes in mice

Researchers at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a role for the youth-associated protein TIMP2 in supporting the healthy function of microglia, the brain's resident immune cells.

14 Aug 2026

'Locked' cancer therapeutic safely shrinks breast tumors in mice

Although there are many cancer treatments available today that effectively eliminate abnormal cells, these therapies may also damage healthy cells, leading to unwanted side effects.

13 Aug 2026

Shared cellular pathway drives neurodegeneration in rare childhood dementia and Alzheimer’s

Researchers at University of California San Diego and their colleagues have identified a key cellular pathway that drives brain degeneration in both a rare childhood disorder and the far more common Alzheimer's disease.

11 Aug 2026

Photoreceptors possess internal recycling system to preserve vision

For decades, scientists believed that photoreceptors in the retina relied primarily on neighboring support cells, known as the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), to remove waste. While the RPE is still responsible for clearing away the worn-out tips of photoreceptors each day, new findings from the University of Oklahoma reveal that photoreceptors also perform much of their own internal housekeeping.

29 Jul 2026

TGen joins Collaborative Research Network for Parkinson's disease research

The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, today announced it has been selected as part of a national team to join the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), an international, multi-institutional initiative focused on addressing high-priority research questions in Parkinson's disease.

28 Jul 2026

New high-throughput biological sensors track cellular lipid molecules

Inside every cell are lipid molecules that make up cellular membranes, helping organelles communicate and respond to stress.

2 Jul 2026

Aging immune cells may explain why autoimmunity rises later in life

A new Review reveals how aging can push the immune system into a paradoxical state, weaker against threats yet more prone to attacking the body’s own tissues.

21 Jun 2026

Key Alzheimer's protein actively protects neurons from nuclear damage

Researchers at Niigata University's Brain Research Institute have uncovered a new function of amyloid precursor protein (APP), a molecule long studied as the precursor to amyloid-β (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

17 Jun 2026

Lysosomal protein stabilizes mitochondria to prevent severe heart failure

A new study published in Engineering has uncovered a regulatory mechanism linking lysosomal function to mitochondrial stability in pathological cardiac hypertrophy, identifying transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) as a key protective factor against the progression to heart failure.

16 Jun 2026

Engineered phages use molecular anchors to enter human cells

The study identified phage surface proteins acting as molecular anchors. These proteins confer phages ith the ability to attach to human cells.

12 Jun 2026

New study shows iron-dependent cell death spreads in wave-like patterns

A new review published in EXO – Beyond the Cell (EXO) examines growing evidence that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, may spread between cells and travel through tissues in wave-like patterns.

9 Jun 2026