autophagy

How The Immune System Spots Melioidosis Bacteria

Researchers have found that cell fusion—rather than the bacteria itself—is what alerts the immune system to Burkholderia pseudomallei infection.

Tackling Obesity By Targeting Brain Cells

By inhibiting a protein called TSPO in specific cells of the brain, researchers in South Korea have found a way to induce weight loss in mice.

Cellular Spring Cleaning Implicated In Brain Diseases

Neurological diseases such as autism and schizophrenia are linked to impaired autophagy in neurons, say researchers in Japan.

Autophagy: The Link Between Inflammation And Alzheimer’s

A research team in South Korea has shown that inflammation suppresses autophagy in brain-resident immune cells, resulting in progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Turning The Hourglass Sideways

Science is challenging the notion that aging is an inescapable fact of life. Here are six strategies that have been shown to prolong life in model organisms, and, in some cases, even humans.

Plants Activate ‘Self-Eating’ Pathways When Hungry

Scientists have discovered that plants depend on autophagy to sustain themselves during starvation conditions, such as when there is insufficient sunlight.

Catching Autophagy In The Act

Scientists in South Korea have used the fluorescence resonance energy transfer technique to observe autophagy in live cells.

Autophagy Linked To Morphine Addiction

By studying mice that were repeatedly administered with morphine, scientists in China have identified autophagy pathways in neurons as crucial mediators of drug addiction.

Autophagy Is Essential For Good Hearing

A cellular recycling process called autophagy plays an important role in our sense of hearing by maintaining inner-ear hair cells.

The Scientist Will See You Now

A geneticist by training, Dr. Audrey Poon now runs a scientific consulting business, which helps researchers tackle grant applications and peer review.