Autophagy works in nucleus to ward off cancer

Looking toward the future, the investigators reason that specific manipulation of the nuclear digestion by autophagy holds promise to intervene in age-related diseases.

The team showed that blocking a peptide, which inhibits LC3-laminB1 interaction, is able to slow cell aging. The implications are that a small molecule could be made to stop the long-term “strategic defeat” of the senescence pathway, and to treat age-related diseases, especially those related to chronic inflammation.

Such a molecule might also be able to ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy in cancer patients. Drs Dou and Berger are actively investigating this possibility.