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.

Study of lysosomal function during mitosis reveals new biomarker for chromosomal instability

A team from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute and the University of Barcelona, in collaboration with a researcher from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota, have described that lysosomes and autophagy processes are active during mitosis and are necessary for a correct cell division.

7 Jul 2020

COVID-19 complications may be associated with von Willebrand factor in the blood

Anna Aksenova, a senior research associate at the Laboratory of Amyloid Biology at St Petersburg University, has advanced a hypothesis that the severe course of COVID-19 may be associated with von Willebrand factor.

6 Jul 2020

Study identifies a promising way to delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease

Currently we are facing a dementia epidemic, estimations showing that by 2050 approximately 131 million people will be affected. Every 7 seconds a patient is diagnosed worldwide.

2 Jul 2020

Scientists discover osmotic stress as stimulator of cellular waste disposal

Cellular waste disposal, where autophagy and lysosomes interact, performs elementary functions, such as degrading damaged protein molecules, which impair cellular function, and reintroducing the resulting building blocks such as amino acids into the metabolic system.

29 Jun 2020

Scientists study how magnetic nanoparticles affect cancer cells in the liver

Scientists from the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU) and National University of Science and Technology "MISiS" have studied how magnet nanoparticles affect cancer cells in the human liver.

25 Jun 2020

Defective maintenance puts intestinal health in danger

In order to keep the intestinal mucosa and the entire organism healthy, intestinal epithelial cells have developed various protective functions involving a number of maintenance mechanisms that protect cells from stress.

23 Jun 2020

Antibiotic X-206 effective against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

The current study published on the preprint server bioRxiv aims to understand how these compounds affect SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. The researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark examined 11 natural PEIs, with a single synthetic analog, screening them for inhibitory activity against the CPE of SARS-CoV-2 infecting cultured cells with overexpression of TMPRSS2, a serine protease that is instrumental in cleaving the spike protein of the virus.

16 Jun 2020

Researchers use human stem cell models to analyze degeneration in glaucoma

More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma, a serious eye condition causing vision loss. Using human stem cell models, researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine found they could analyze deficits within cells damaged by glaucoma, with the potential to use this information to develop new strategies to slow the disease process.

11 Jun 2020

Race-related differences in genetic determinants of COVID-19 severity

Researchers at the University of Iowa have identified differences in gene expression levels between African Americans and European Americans that may explain the disproportionately higher rates of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and related deaths among African Americans.

11 Jun 2020

Study reveals completely new mechanism for mitochondrial disease

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that excessive degradation of the power plants of our cells plays an important role in the onset of mitochondrial disease in children.

11 Jun 2020

Hydroxychloroquine suppresses 'trained immunity'

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in June 2020 shows that the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) suppresses a form of immunity called ‘trained immunity,’ with repercussions for its potential use to treat COVID-19.

11 Jun 2020

Study reveals new strategy to tackle cancer

A study led by the Institut de Neurociències describes a new strategy to tackle cancer, based on inducing a potent stress in tumor causing cell destruction by autophagy.

9 Jun 2020

GMU researchers studying effect of cannabidiol on exosome release

Fatah Kashanchi, Professor, Laboratory of Molecular Virology, School of Systems Biology, and Lance Liotta, Co-Director, Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, are working to mitigate virally driven HIV pathenogenesis in the central nervous system.

5 Jun 2020

Genetic variations linked to COVID-19 severity

A new report by researchers from Thailand's Mahidol University and published on the preprint server medRxiv in May 2020 reports that the clinical severity of COVID-19 may be linked to the genetic makeup of the patient in addition to external factors.

3 Jun 2020

Cancer drug nilotinib found to be safe and well-tolerated in Alzheimer's disease clinical trial

A Georgetown University Medical Center clinical trial investigating the cancer drug nilotinib in people with Alzheimer's disease finds that it is safe and well-tolerated, and researchers say the drug should be tested in a larger study to further determine its safety and efficacy as a potential disease-modifying strategy.

29 May 2020

Warwick researchers discover how cells activate autophagy genes during fasting

As modern life-styles and high calorie diets drive the UK's obesity levels up, researchers from the University of Warwick have found how cells respond to fasting and activate the process called autophagy, which means a healthier lifestyle can be promoted to help people maintain a healthy body weight.

26 May 2020

Novel tool helps translate complex communication between microbes and the body

A new tool developed by scientists at the Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute is helping to translate the complex communication between the microbiome and the body.

21 May 2020

UCLA study shows link between diesel exhaust and risk of Parkinson's

A new UCLA study in zebrafish has identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.

20 May 2020

DZD researchers discover additional genetic cause for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

In Germany about 18 million people suffer from non-alcoholic fatty liver. The causes of this disease are manifold and include environmental as well as genetic factors.

19 May 2020

Innovative approach turns 'cold' tumors 'hot' to improve cancer immunotherapy

Scientists from the Tumor Immunotherapy and Microenvironment research group led by Dr Bassam Janji at the Luxembourg Institute of Health Department of Oncology, and the Swedish pharma company Sprint Bioscience published the results of an innovative approach that turns “cold” tumors “hot”. “Cold”, immune-desert tumors are classically immunotherapy-resistant.

13 May 2020