Autophagy: what it is and how the discovery of Nobel Prize winner can hack into our lives

Japanese scientist Yoshinori Osumi (Yoshinori Ohsumi) received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery autophagy mechanism - the process by which cells partially "eat" itself to remain healthy. Opening Osumi shed light on the possible use of autophagy in the treatment of various diseases.

Autophagy - a natural process of life of the organism. All cells can be partially "eaten" by itself, getting rid of old or damaged areas. Recycling in this way their own material, the cell receives new resources for rehabilitation and further operation.

Autophagy is involved in various processes: from the fight against bacterial and viral infections before the renewal of cells in the developing embryo.

Yoshinori Osumi, an expert in cell biology from the University of Technology, Tokyo, began to study the phenomenon of autophagy, back in 1992. Initially, he considered the genes responsible for "samopoedanie" in yeast cells. Later it turned out that the process of autophagy have an impact on a variety of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases.

Now scientists are testing drugs that will be able to directionally affect the process of autophagy. This fundamentally change our approach to the fight against cancer tumors, as well as methods for the treatment of mental disorders associated with cognitive impairment.

Process monitoring autophagy can help in the treatment of cancer and brain disorders

If the processes are slowed autophagy or violated, the cell loses its ability to degrade abnormal proteins, cell structures have served and harmful germs. It is not yet entirely clear prioritization of events: whether the conduct violated the processes of autophagy to the emergence of the disease or the disease causes failure of autophagy mechanisms.

Nevertheless autophagy connection with neurodegenerative disorders is not questioned. It is manifested, for example, in Parkinson's diseaseMelinda A. Lynch-Day, Kai Mao, Ke Wang. The Role of Autophagy in Parkinson's Disease. . This disease is characterized by the presence of abnormal protein structures, Lewy bodies, which are distributed in the brain. Scientists believe that the process of autophagy disturbed just lead to the fact that "eat" brain cells stop data abnormal proteinsM. Xilouri M., O. R. Brekk OR, L. Stefanis.Autophagy and Alpha-Synuclein: Relevance to Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleopathies. .

Similarly, in the brain and may be formed amyloid accumulation. This is a harmful protein, which, according to scientists, causes Alzheimer's disease.

Opportunity to re-launch the process of autophagy in humans with neurodegenerative diseases will allow to slow down or even stop the accumulation in the brain of harmful proteins.

This was confirmed in the first phase of the study, in which patients with Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies received a daily low-dose cure for leukemia, stimulating processes autophagy. Within six months, patients noticed improvement in their motor skills and mental activityCancer drug improved cognition and motor skills in small Parkinson's clinical trial. .

Researchers are also considering the possibility that the very active processes of autophagy may contribute to the development and spread of cancer cells. Most likely, express autophagy allows tumor cells to regenerate faster than usual.

Now in clinical studies to find an answer to the question whether the slowdown really autophagy processes will help improve the efficiency of traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and exposure.

Although cellular processes studied Osumi, it was already known to scientists, until now no one has seen their value to human health. Discovery Osumi shed light on the possibility to use these processes for the treatment of various diseases.

Learning about the awarding of the Nobel Prize, Osumi urged young scientists to join him in further studies of autophagy.

In science, there is no finish line. When you find the answer to one question immediately raises another. I will never believe that the answer to all questions. That's why I continue to ask and yeast.

Yoshinori Osumi