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.

Penn researchers identify new way to target enzyme crucial to tumor growth, develop new drugs

Opening up a new pathway to fight cancer, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found a way to target an enzyme that is crucial to tumor growth while also blocking the mechanism that has made past attempts to target that enzyme resistant to treatment.

20 Sep 2017

Bacteria release membrane-derived vesicles that may have different functions during infection

Bacteria release membrane-derived vesicles (MVs), which are small particles that can transport virulence factors to neighboring bacteria or to the cells of a mammalian host. This special MV-based system for delivering toxic proteins and nucleic acids in a protected manner to the target cells may have different specific functions depending on whether the bacterium acts as an extracellular or intracellular pathogen.

18 Sep 2017

IMB researchers make breakthrough in understanding origin of aging process

Researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology in Mainz, Germany, have made a breakthrough in understanding the origin of the aging process. They have identified that genes belonging to a process called autophagy - one of the cells most critical survival processes - promote health and fitness in young worms but drive the process of aging later in life.

15 Sep 2017

New research uncovers 17 new genetic variants linked to Parkinson’s disease

In the UK, every hour someone receives the devastating news that they have Parkinson’s disease. One in every 500 people suffers from Parkinson's, which equates to approximately 127,000 people across the UK. The majority of those diagnosed with Parkinson's are aged over 50, but for many, it will begin far earlier. There is currently no cure.

13 Sep 2017

Study describes link between key melanoma signaling pathway and novel class of drugs

Results of a study by The Wistar Institute have described a correlation between a key melanoma signaling pathway and a novel class of drugs being tested in the clinic as adjuvant therapy for advanced melanoma, providing useful information for a more effective use of this type of treatment.

7 Sep 2017

Research finds how omega-3 supplements dampen harmful inflammatory reactions

OMEGA-3: Omega-3 fatty acids, which we primarily get through eating fatty fish, have long been thought to be good for our health.

23 Aug 2017

Study elucidates how aerobic exercise protects the sick heart

Regular exercise is considered an important form of treatment for heart failure, a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs.

18 Aug 2017

New findings could help better understand aging process and extend lifespan

Restricting how much you eat without starving has been shown to robustly extend lifespan in more than 20 species of animals including primates.

2 Aug 2017

Scientists uncover link between backup pathogen-fighting system and mutations in Crohn's patients

Genes that regulate a cellular recycling system called autophagy are commonly mutated in Crohn's disease patients, though the link between biological housekeeping and inflammatory bowel disease remained a mystery. Now, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have uncovered an intriguing clue.

28 Jul 2017

Gut bacterium can stop chemotherapy from causing cancer cell death

Researchers at Michigan Medicine and in China showed that a type of bacterium is associated with the recurrence of colorectal cancer and poor outcomes.

27 Jul 2017

Researchers understand how to prevent severe weight loss in cancer patients

Many cancer patients are susceptible to potentially lethal weight loss. Now researchers understand better why this happens, and perhaps how to prevent the condition.

25 Jul 2017

NIH researchers show how investigational drug works against rare, fatal genetic disease

Scientists have demonstrated how an investigational drug works against a rare, fatal genetic disease, Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1).

17 Jul 2017

Inhibition of cell receptors clears toxic proteins, cuts inflammation and improves cognition in animal models

Researchers have found cell receptors abnormally overexpressed in post-mortem brains of those with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and that they can be inhibited in animal models to clear toxic protein buildup, reduce brain inflammation, and improve cognitive performance.

17 Jul 2017