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RESEARCH
"No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess." - Isaac Newton
Tuberous sclerosis complex is a genetic disease resulting from mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes. The disease causes non-cancerous tumors in vital organs throughout the body, such as the brain, skin, eyes and heart. These tumors can cause a host of health issues, including epilepsy and autism.
Image courtesy of the NIH Image Gallery.
Autophagy functions to generate energy, clear damaged organelles, and delay or prevent cell death during times of cellular stress. Chemotherapeutic agents trigger autophagy, allowing cancer cells to adapt and withstand treatment. Therefore, a better understanding of autophagy is critical for developing new and improved treatment strategies in cancer.
Aggressive cancers are well-known for their altered metabolic profiles and ability to withstand cytotoxic therapies. As such, defining the relationship between dysregulated metabolism and evasion of apoptosis represents a critical need and gap in knowledge in the cancer field.