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: Atg2 tethers pre-autophagosomal membrane to endoplasmic reticulum during autophagosome formation

Postdoctoral Researcher Tetsuya Kotani, Associate Professor Hitoshi Nakatogawa, Honorary Professor Yoshinori Ohsumi and colleagues at Tokyo Institute of Technology have analyzed the Atg protein Atg2, whose function had been completely unknown, and have discovered that Atg2 tethers the pre-autophagosomal membrane to the endoplasmic reticulum during autophagosome formation.

23 Oct 2018

Study identifies molecular switch that controls fate of milk-producing breast cells

A research team, led by investigators from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, details how a natural and dramatic process -- changes in mammary glands to accommodate breastfeeding -- uses a molecular process believed to contribute to survival of pre-malignant breast cells.

15 Oct 2018

Researchers discover previously unknown function of key component in the immune system

The complement proteins that circulate in our blood are an important part of our immune system. They help identify bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms, making it easier for our white blood cells to find and neutralize dangerous microbes.

5 Oct 2018

Scientists investigate effect of flu-causing virus on three lung-derived cell lines

Perhaps inspired by the annual 3 to 5 million cases of severe influenza worldwide, the Guinness World Record organization is advertising for individuals or organizations to attempt a record for the most people getting a flu awareness lesson at once.

29 Sep 2018

Daily exercise facilitates elimination of toxic proteins from muscles

A study published in Scientific Reports by researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, in partnership with colleagues in the United States and Norway, shows that the lack of muscle stimulus results in a buildup of inadequately processed proteins in muscle cells and consequently leads to muscle weakness or wasting.

27 Sep 2018

Logos Biosystems Introduces the New CELENA X High Content Imaging System

Logos Biosystems has released the all-new CELENA® X integrated High Content Imaging System, providing the complete solution for rapid high content image acquisition and quantitative analysis.

From Logos Biosystems 20 Sep 2018

Differences in mitochondrial DNA determine severity of heart disease caused by nDNA mutation

Differences in the DNA within the mitochondria, the energy-producing structures within cells, can determine the severity and progression of heart disease caused by a nuclear DNA mutation.

12 Sep 2018

Novel finding that links ALS/ataxia to cellular stress opens door to new treatment approaches

Few treatments exist for neurodegenerative diseases that progressively rob a person's ability to move and think, yet the results of a new study could potentially open additional approaches for exploration.

7 Sep 2018

Georgia State researcher wins federal grant to study cardiovascular complications in diabetes

Dr. Ming-Hui Zou, director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine at Georgia State University, has received a four-year, $2.4 million federal grant to study cardiovascular complications in diabetes.

6 Sep 2018

Study suggests new strategies for using cell metabolism to treat cancer

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have discovered that cell metabolism plays an important role in the ability of cells to start a survival program called autophagy, an unwanted side effect of some anti-cancer drugs that helps some tumor cells dodge treatment and eventually regrow into new tumors.

29 Aug 2018

Genetic variants impact outcome in dilated cardiomyopathy patients of African ancestry

Genetic testing is a powerful diagnostic tool that is increasingly being used for the diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, a disease in which the heart becomes enlarged, making it difficult to pump blood. Cardiomyopathy affects more than 3.5 million people in the United States.

22 Aug 2018

Protein aggregation in neurons linked to gene regulation in Huntington's disease

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered a direct link between the protein aggregation in nerve cells that is typical for neurodegenerative diseases, and the regulation of gene expression in Huntington's disease.

21 Aug 2018

Researchers describe link between poor oocyte development and oxidative stress in obese mice

Excessive body fat is associated with negative effects on female fertility and pregnancy. In mice, maternal obesity impairs proper development of egg precursor cells called oocytes.

17 Aug 2018

Study provides new insight into how 'trash bag of the cell' traps and seals off waste

The mechanics behind how an important process within the cell traps material before recycling it has puzzled scientists for years. But Penn State researchers have gained new insight into how this process seals off waste, much like a trash bag.

16 Aug 2018

MSU researchers uncover the effects of aging on regenerative ability of kidneys

Autophagy is a process of destruction and processing of damaged cell components by the cells themselves. It is used by a cell to clean itself of excessive organelles and sometimes for self-execution. This adaptive mechanism supports a healthy phenotype on the cellular level.

13 Aug 2018

Study reveals cellular pathway used by Ebola virus to enter cells

A new study at Texas Biomedical Research Institute is shedding light on the role of specific proteins that trigger a mechanism allowing Ebola virus to enter cells to establish replication.

9 Aug 2018

Researchers discover inhibitory peptides to target central components in autophagy pathway

Autophagy, meaning "self-eating" in Greek, is a general metabolic mechanism adopted by nearly all the eukaryotic species, from the single cell yeast to humans.

30 Jun 2018

New therapeutic approach may delay neurodegeneration in rare genetic disease

A new therapeutic approach may one day delay neurodegeneration typical of a disease called mucopolysaccharidoses IIIB. Neurodegeneration in this condition results from the abnormal accumulation of essential cellular molecules called mucopolysaccharides.

21 Jun 2018

New study shows how vitamin A effectively supports lung immunity against TB

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital, Dublin, have discovered how vitamin A drives the lung immune system to deal with tuberculosis

14 Jun 2018

Scientists uncover 'Achilles heel' in deadly form of brain cancer

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University believe they have uncovered an "Achilles heel" of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer.

5 Jun 2018