Autophagy News and Research

RSS

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.

Researchers Identify Link Between Mitochondrial Depletion and Protein Build-Up in Neurons

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have identified how proteins collect abnormally in neurons, a feature of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

22 Apr 2024

Rare YKT6 Gene Variants Linked to New Neurological Disorder

A recent collaborative study has discovered rare variants in the YKT6 gene as the cause of a new neurological disorder characterized by developmental delays along with severe progressive liver disease and a potential risk for liver cancer.

2 Apr 2024

UC Davis Researchers Identify a Promising New Fungicide to Fight Devastating Crop Diseases

A promising new fungicide to fight devastating crop diseases has been identified by researchers at the University of California, Davis.

1 Mar 2024

Genetic Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Revealed in Colombian Kindred

UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators in Colombia, Brazil and Germany are progressing toward an understanding of mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer's disease, in particular an early-onset, genetic form that has afflicted generations of an extended family in Colombia.

28 Feb 2024

The Promise of siRNA Nanomedicine for HIV Treatment

Society learned about the usefulness of mRNA during the COVID-19 pandemic when scientists and medical professionals leveraged its power to deliver a vaccine for the virus within a year.

21 Feb 2024

Research Reveals Unforeseen Functions for Autophagy Genes in Neuronal Health and Aging

Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. In the January 4th issue of Nature Aging, it was noted that scientists from the Buck Institute, Sanford Burnham Prebys and Rutgers University have uncovered possible novel functions

5 Jan 2024

Study Elucidates How Amino Acids Turn on Cell Growth Engine

Amino acids are the building blocks of life. We obtain them from the food we eat, and the body uses them to make proteins, which in turn are used for growth, development, and a multitude of other functions.

22 Dec 2023

New Technique Reveals Secrets of Protein Partnerships

Proteins are building blocks of our bodies, but they do not work solo. They form partners to facilitate in different biological processes that keep us going.

22 Dec 2023

NEMO Protein Promotes Degradation of Harmful Alpha-Synuclein Aggregates in Parkinson's Disease

Researchers have identified a mechanism that promotes the breakdown of harmful protein deposits. If it malfunctions, it can lead to Parkinson’s disease.

21 Dec 2023

Study Elucidates How Mutant NPM1 Protein Drives Leukemia by Activating Autophagy System

In a recent study, scientists led by Professor Stefan Müller from Goethe University's Institute of Biochemistry II investigated a specific form of blood cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia, or AML.

5 Dec 2023

New Drug-Like Molecule Enhances Mitophagy, Protects Against Neurodegeneration

Having healthy mitochondria, the organelles that produce energy in all our cells, usually portends a long healthy life whether in humans or in C. elegans, a tiny, short-lived nematode worm often used to study the aging process.

14 Nov 2023

Scientists Uncover New Insights into Cellular Recycling Process

Recycling is just as essential in cells as in our more familiar macroscopic world. Cells continuously generate waste products and accumulate damaged components while performing regular functions.

3 Nov 2023

New Insights Into the Role of Autophagy in Yeast Aging

Aging is an inevitable process that impacts all cell types, making yeast cells a common choice as a model organism in aging research.

26 Oct 2023

$1.1 Million Grant to Fund Research on Molecular Response of Plants to Environmental Stress

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.1 million grant to Purdue University’s Gyeong Mee Yoon to research how plants acclimate to environmental stress. Her findings could have implications for food security in an era of climate change.

9 Oct 2023

Fruit Fly Study Reveals New Insights into Exercise and Cold Tolerance

As the northern hemisphere experiences shorter and colder days, individuals who prefer morning workouts may encounter increased difficulty in getting up and running.

19 Sep 2023

Researchers Elucidate STING Protein's New Role in Immune Defense

A signaling protein known as STING is a critical player in the human immune system, detecting signs of danger within cells and then activating a variety of defense mechanisms.

7 Aug 2023

Exploring the Regulatory Mechanism and Physiological Significance of P62 Phosphorylation

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a master transcription factor with a role in maintaining oxidative stress response. It can be triggered by both redox-dependent and redox-independent pathways.

13 Jun 2023

How the Disturbed Recycling Chain of Endoplasmic Reticulum Causes Neurodegenerative Diseases

Our cells are crisscrossed by a system of membrane tubes and pockets called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It is crucial for the production of biomolecules and is continuously built up and degraded.

29 May 2023

New Insight Into Cellular Waste Disposal Process

To prevent our body's cells from overflowing with garbage and to keep them healthy, the waste inside them is constantly being disposed of.

25 May 2023

Proteomics Approach Identifies p62-Mediated Selective Autophagy of the Supramolecular Vault Complex

Our body functioning is delicately balanced between the synthesis and breakdown of various cellular components.

16 May 2023