The autophagy, a process of defense cells started up front to stress, can help in the treatment of tumors, promoting cell death cancer treated with chemotherapy. But only in short periods of time, as shown by research led by Professor Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lleida (UDL) and researcher Judith IRBLleida Ribas, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and published in the prestigious international journal Biochemical Pharmacology.
"The autophagy appears to protect tumor cells from apoptosis chemotherapy, but we have also shown that it promotes, with the time factor which makes the difference," says Dr. Judith Ribas. The study suggests for the first time an experimental paradigm in which time is the only factor in this "double game" autophagy as a protective mechanism or trigger cell death by apoptosis. In short periods of time, promotes; as the "starvation" sensitizes cells to the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane and activates proteins called caspases. This increases the effects "destroyers" of chemotherapy. However, over long periods, autophagy prevents apoptosis, "protected" and tumor cells from chemotherapy.
Researchers at the Pharmacology Unit IRBLleida have trials with several models of cell cultures, including some derived from tumors of patients, exposing them to media without nutrients and trophic factors to achieve induced autophagy starvation. On these models under extreme conditions of starvation, have proven that chemotherapy drugs commonly used in cancer therapy.
Being confined to the promotion and inhibition of apoptosis by autophagy in a frame simplifies molecular research on the conditions imposed by starvation cell biology solid tumor. "These findings may have application to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer therapies, although we still have much to learn," says Judit Ribas. "We firmly believe that there is a biological meaning behind this seemingly contradictory behavior, and probably has a role in tumor progression," he adds. Researchers at the Pharmacology Unit lament that "the lack of funding prevents us continue with these studies."
Image: Members of the Unit of Pharmacology with Dr. Ribas right
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